


Liberty Belle

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-18
Updated: 2008-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-15 03:58:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Santos Administration. Where Josh and Donna may have ended up when they were finished at the White House.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is my first series fic. You've been warned. I'm telling you, it's obvious.  


* * *

TIME AND PLACE: Sunday morning, Josh and Donna’s apartment. 

Josh loved Sunday mornings. It was by far his favorite day of the week. Right from Inauguration Day, the President required his staff to take Sundays off. And so far, barring a few mishaps here and there, for the past ten months, they’ve had Sundays off. Well, Sundays away from the White House. Josh always took work home with him on the weekends. Not only did Josh get to sleep in on Sunday mornings, but he got to spend the entire day with Donna, which to him, was all that mattered anyway. He and Donna had a strict rule, no one else on Sundays. Sunday was their day, spent entirely by themselves. If anyone wanted to get together with them, they had to do it during the week. Sunday was Josh and Donna day. Just him, her, and if they left the house, Josh’s secret service detail. Nice low key Sundays. 

The other rule they’d had about Sundays was that they never made plans ahead of time for what they would actually do on Sunday. They were just going to wake up, whenever it is that was, and see where the day took them. Sometimes they went shopping, sometimes they took in a movie, sometimes they walked aimlessly around Washington –- okay, they didn’t walk aimlessly around Washington. Their rule also included whatever they did, they stayed far away from the White House and the Hill and any other building that might increase their chances of running into anyone who might trap them and spoil their day. This also included restaurants around the area, stores, well, most of the business section of Washington. Sometimes these days were lazy, and sometimes they were full of things to do. One time, Donna had dragged Josh all the way out to Manasses to see the battlefield, despite his many complaints that it was a National Military Park and they all looked the same to him. They were all big, open fields of grass and the only thing different was the sign. Okay. He really knew that they were different, and they all had meaning, but none of them were actually a short jaunt from the city. 

Today, was one of the Sundays where they really didn’t do anything, and these were his favorite because that meant that they didn’t leave their apartment, and Donna didn’t talk to anyone else but him, and he didn’t have to share her with anyone, and he got her undivided attention. He usually got a heads up Saturday night what kind of Sunday Donna was planning on having if she brought home food for breakfast for the morning. Sometimes she’d whip up a big breakfast; sometimes she’d just bring home stuff to make tasty breakfast sandwiches. This morning it was bagels, which was the best news for Josh because that meant she didn’t want to do ANYTHING today. It was possible she might not even get dressed today. 

This particular morning, they’d actually slept in a bit. Sort of. Well, okay, he woke up around 6:30, then proceeded to wake her up for some morning action, then they fell back asleep and woke up again around 8:30. Josh got up and put coffee on, while Donna opened the front door and said good morning to the agent standing in the hallway. Josh always found this ritual amusing and she always defended herself. “Why do you insist on telling them we’re up?” He’d say. “I don’t know.” She’d reply. “I guess I just figure they should know we’re up and moving around in here or something. It just seems like it’s something they need to know.” “They don’t give a shit what we’re doing in here.” He’d say. 

This morning, she closed the door after her morning greeting and walked back into the bedroom bearing newspapers. “I know you think the detail cramps your style, Bear,” Donna said using a nickname for him she’d adopted for him. They once had a too much beer induced conversation about if they were animals, what kind would they be, wherein Donna decided Josh would be a bear, and the nickname sort of stuck. She tossed the newspapers onto the bed and accepted her coffee from Josh, “but it is nice how they bring the newspapers in when they change shifts in the morning. That’s a nice gesture they do for you.” Josh climbed back onto his side of the bed, flipped on the bedroom t.v., and fanned open one of the papers. “They don’t do it for me,” he replied, “I think they do it for you because you say good morning to them every morning.” She smiled at him and opened a magazine that she had grabbed on her way through the living room. “You don’t think they like you, Josh?” she asked. “They don’t have to like me.” He replied. “I’m just the guy they’re assigned to take the bullet for.” “Are you sure that they have to take a bullet for you? I thought that they just had to make sure that you didn’t wander down some dark alley and get whisked away by a terrorist,” to which he replied, “Nice, babe.” 

Donna started to flip non-commitally through her magazine, while Josh tossed The Washington Post on the floor. Donna looked over at him and arched a brow. “It’s gone downhill ever since Danny left.” Josh said by way of explanation. “I try not to read it, if I don’t have to.” “How is it that you can get away with not reading The Washington Post hardly ever?” She said. “Well, first of all,” he replied, “they’re all reporting on the same stuff, the major stuff anyway. And besides, if they’ve gotten something different, it’s usually something that Lou and Bram have already found out from the reporter writing it on Friday, so I’ve already been tipped off.” “Do you seriously think that The Washington Post reporter is that loyal to you guys?” Donna asked. “I don’t think she’s loyal at all.” Josh replied. “But she’s a reporter assigned to the White House, she wants the leaks when they come, so she’s nice to Bram. Plus, I’m thinking that Bram has a thing for her. It’s like a C.J. Danny thing all over again.” “Hmm.” Donna said thoughtfully. “Maybe there’s something in the water over at The Washington Post that makes the reporters there so hot to the White House press secretaries.” 

Josh noticed that Mary Marsh was doing one of the morning shows and immediately turned the channel. She’ll just piss him off for sure, and he was no longer in a position where he really had the luxury to get into a mud-slinging battle with her. Okay, so he really never was, but now he really can’t be dealing with her. Ah, there’s Ainsley doing Face the Nation. He’ll leave her on. She’ll be fun background noise for them. 

“So, it’s holiday time.” He announced. “Thanks for pointing that out.” She said. “I wasn’t tipped off by the flurry of decorators all over the mansion and the brass quartet in the lobby.” 

“Well, there’s you with your mouthful of wise ass this morning.” He said. Donna smiled at the jab and flipped the page of her magazine. “I’m starting a discussion of our holiday plans. Where are we going? Whatcha got cooking?” “Cooking?” she asked. “What makes you think I’ve got something cooking?” 

“You always have something cooking.” 

“Your mom’s taking a cruise, and my parents are going to be moving my grandmother into her new place. My brother is stuck going to my sister-in-law’s family’s house.” “So, we don’t have anything cooking?” he asked tentatively. “Well, sort of.” She hesitated. 

Josh groaned. This was sure to be something he didn’t like. “Dr. Bartlet has invited us to Manchester.” Josh wasn’t expecting to hear that. “Really?” he asked. “Yes. It seems we’re not the only ones either.” Donna informed. She said they invited Charlie, C.J. and Danny and Sam and his wife.” Not that he didn’t want to see the former first family and his friends, but he was sort of hoping they could go away this year. Well, I guess this was away, they couldn’t really turn the Bartlets down. Jed Bartlet would never allow it. 

Donna became quiet for a little while and Josh continued to skim through the papers. It wasn’t until he heard a strange kind of noise coming from her that he looked over and discovered something became very wrong with her. She had lost all color from her face and was staring blankly down at the magazine she had been reading. “Donna?” he asked. No response. “Donna, what’s wrong?” When she didn’t respond the second time, he looked down at what she’d been reading. An article about a refugee family from Gaza. He acted on his first reaction, which was to whip the offensive magazine out of her line of sight and fling it across the bedroom. It hit the closet door and fell to the floor. “Haven’t I forbidden you to read anything about that place?” he demanded. “Here.” He said handing her another magazine. “Here’s Time. You can read about Lebanon.” But it was plain to him that the damage had been done. She closed her eyes, pursed her lips together and dropped her head. 

Here we go, Josh thought. They’d never discussed Rosslyn or Gaza. They just had a mutual understanding that they were happy the other person was okay, they appreciated what they did for each other and blah, blah, blah. Talking about it was way too intense. But he obviously couldn’t let her stay in the crazy head space she had just found herself in. “Donna?” he asked tentatively. 

“I often wonder why I survived.” She said quietly. “I mean, here I was in a car with two congressmen, one congressional aide, and the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, plus the driver. And everybody in that car died, but me. Every single one. All those important people, and me, an inconsequential White House assistant lived.” 

“Don’t say that.” Josh demanded. “Don’t you ever think things like that. You were never inconsequential and you were always just as important as those people in the car with you.” 

“To you maybe. But, that explosion was massive. I mean, do you have any idea why I was the one that lived?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” 

“Because you’re my angel.” he whispered without hesitation. “C.J. came rushing down the hall towards me that day. As soon as I saw her face, I knew my whole life was about to change. When she told me what happened, I stopped existing. She had no idea if you were alive or dead. It took me three hours to even find out that you were breathing when they put you in an ambulance. When Leo told me I could go to Germany, Donna, I don’t even remember doing it. I can’t even remember how I got there.” She looked up at him and there were tears in her eyes. 

“I sat in that hospital room staring at you all night. Every day since we met, you’ve been there for me and you’ve taken care of me. You took care of me after Rosslyn. Even when I was with somebody else, it was you that took care of me. I know I told you that it was in Germany that I realized that I loved you, but that’s not true. It was long before that. In Germany, I realized that you’d saved me. You saved me from myself, from the lonely path I was on. It was then that I knew that I had loved you all those years, and you were right there, every step of the way, not going anywhere, guiding me to where I needed to be, supporting me, always in my corner, being pissed at people when I was pissed at them, forgiving them when I forgave them, inspiring me to be a better person, making sure I didn’t screw something up. You’ve been my guardian angel. If you had died in that car, my soul would have gone with you for sure, because I know my heart didn’t start beating until I saw you alive. When you opened your eyes after you came out of surgery, I knew right then that you were sent to me from Heaven. You didn’t die because you’re meant to be with me, by my side.” 

Donna fell forward into his lap, tears streaming down her face. Josh stroked her hair while she quietly cried and they stayed like that for what seemed like hours. Finally, she fell asleep, exhausted from the crying and emotion. He leaned back on the pillows and stroked her hair, staring up at the ceiling and trying to take in everything he had said to her. This was definitely not how he expected Sunday morning to go. Now what? Donna was hurting, and he had to fix it. How was he going to do that? There were tough things he had to handle in his life now, things that quite frankly, sometimes made him feel heartless. He knew that most people in Washington thought that was true about him. And it didn’t take long for the beltway to figure out how to get to him, through her. If they wanted to hurt him, they hurt her; if they wanted something from him, they went through her. Even now, when she hadn’t been his actual assistant for nearly two years, it still happened. 

It used to bother him that people thought he was heartless. He used to want to scream at them, “That’s not me! It’s just my job!”, but not anymore. Because when Donna cried, his heart broke into a thousand pieces, so he knew it was there. Plus, she was so good, so pure, so caring. If she loved him, then there had to be good things about him. He smiled to himself. It’s exactly why she lovingly called him Bear. Politically, it’s what he was, and it held many meanings because bears could be ferocious one minute and loving the next. 

She told him when they went to Hawaii before the inauguration that she’d loved him since the day she hired herself in New Hampshire nine, no, now ten years ago. Deep down, he’d known that all along. It’s what made him so good at his job. It’s what made him never feel the desire to quash the rumors about the two of them. He actually liked people thinking that. It kept most men away from her. Everyone in Washington knew, if you need to get to Josh, you had to get through Donna. And if you pissed off Josh, you pissed of Donna, and then you had no access. 

It’s what kept him from moving in with Amy. He’d remember thinking when Amy brought up co-habitation that he couldn’t live with any woman that wasn’t Donna. The relationship had ended very shortly after that. Josh almost threw up on the spot when he found out Matt had hired her as Director of Legislative Affairs. Working with her for the past year has been difficult, to say the least. Margaret said it was like Amy was constantly trying to remind everyone of her place in Josh’s life. She often stopped by unannounced and tried to get in to see him. Thankfully, Margaret, being Margaret and a permanent fixture in that job for three Chiefs of Staff now, ran a tight ship and threatened to call security on her, if she did it again. Josh got a mouthful from Amy on his voice mail for that. Margaret told Josh that she thought Amy did things like that to piss off Donna and assert some kind of claim over him, which only served to piss Josh off more. 

He looked over at the clock. She’d been sleeping and he was lost in his own thoughts for over an hour now. He looked down and saw her looking back up at him.   
“Don’t call Stanley.” She said. “Are you sure?” He asked and she nodded. “I’m not crazy, I have you.” “Which is why most of Washington thinks you’re crazy.” 

She sat up and faced him and he was staring intently into her eyes. She knew what he was thinking. He was trying to figure out how to fix her. Josh didn’t like it when something was out of his control. She really did it this time. Of all the things in his life he had to deal with, she had vowed to be the one thing he didn’t have to worry about. Well, fat chance of that now, because he had worry all over his face. 

“I mean it, Bear. Don’t call him. I’m totally fine.” She said. 

“Knock it off.” He replied. 

“Excuse me? Knock what off?” 

“For once in your life, would you please let someone take care of you for a change?” 

“You?” she replied. “Don’t be ridiculous, Joshua. You have literally 100 things going on in a day, you can’t be worried about me, too. You’re going to dwell over this now all day. You know what’s going to happen? Your friggin pager’s going to go off, and you’re going to get called into work for who the hell knows what, and instead of concentrating on important things, you’re going to be thinking about this.” 

“I told you to stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it. I will worry about whatever the hell I want to worry about. Worrying about you, and thinking of you, and taking care of you, helps me feel better about all the things in the world I can’t take care of. You’re the one thing that makes sense to me in a world full of chaos. And if you don’t start seeing yourself as important soon, I swear to God, I will demand the President declare a national holiday in your name. You are important to me. You are everything that’s important to me. You’re what keeps me going. It’s because of you that I can go into work every day and do the things I have to do. And I’ll call whoever the hell I want to call. I can have Stanley at the White House tomorrow.” 

She took a second to study him. Boy, she certainly put him into a tizzy this time. He was all full of fire now. But that’s what she loved about him. His fire, his passion for everything he did. Josh never did anything half-assed. If he determined that she was going to get fixed, then dammit, fixed she was going to be and he wouldn’t rest until she was. She leaned in, kissed him, and curled up on his chest, wrapping her arms around him. 

“Okay.” she acquiesced. 

Josh paused for a moment. “Okay what? What the hell is going on?” 

“Okay, fine. Take care of me. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll do whatever you want.” 

“You’re giving in that easy?” He couldn’t believe it. How had he won that fast? 

“Of course I am.” she signed. “Josh, I can’t go through my day stressed out that you’re worrying about me and not concentrating on your job. So, if I talk to Stanley for you, you’ll stop worrying about me, I’ll stop worrying about you, and the world will keep turning.” 

“Okay. So I didn’t really win this at all then.” he laughed. “How is it that I can bend the will of a Republican Congress, but I can’t get anything accomplished when it comes to you?” 

“Because you’re my Bear, and I’m sure your ego will survive.” 

TBC


	2. Liberty Belle

Late the next afternoon, Sam was in his office when he looked up and saw Josh standing in the doorway. “You look terrible.” Sam said. 

“Does nobody say hello to me anymore?” Josh responded. “That’s like the official greeting of me, ‘Josh, you look like shit.’” 

“Well, you do.” Sam shrugged. “What’s wrong?” 

“I didn’t get any sleep last night. Donna --” Josh began as he walked into the office and began to close the door. He was cut off by the sound of gun shots outside. 

Instinctively, Sam and Josh ducked. “Jesus H. Christ! What the hell!?” cried out Sam. 

 

Donna and Annabeth were sitting at Donna’s desk going over the day’s schedule for Tuesday when they heard the shots. They immediately hit the floor, as they sounded like they were being fired right at her window. They heard a shriek from the room next door and immediately began crawling swiftly towards the door that connected Donna’s office with the First Lady’s, only to meet Mrs. Santos on the way scurrying on her hands and knees towards them. 

“What the hell?” Helen screamed. 

“Someone’s shot at the building.” Donna stated. She hardly got the sentence out when her door was practically kicked in by two Secret Service agents. The agents ran to the windows and closed the curtains, as Donna helped Helen to her feet. “We’re evacuating the East Wing and crashing the building.” One of the agents said to his wrist and they hastily escorted the First Lady, Donna, and Annabeth out of Donna’s office. 

“I almost got shot!” Helen cried. 

“They’re bullet proof windows, ma’am.” Donna responded. 

“Then why are the curtains closed?” 

“Because they don’t want the shooter to see where they’re moving us.” Annabeth replied. 

“Where’s my husband?” Helen demanded. “The President’s in the Oval Office.” The agent replied. “We’re taking you there now.” 

“My children?” 

“We have them.” said the agent. “They were on their way back from school.” 

Where was Josh? Donna thought. She had to get to Josh before he lost it trying to get to her. 

Too late. 

“Get the hell out of my way!” The shouting was coming from the Oval office. 

“This isn’t something that’s open for discussion, sir.” She heard an agent reply. 

Josh saw Donna coming through the outer office and yanked her inside. “Are you okay?” She asked, her voice noticeably shaking. Her hands were moving all over his upper body, searching for she didn’t know what. He nodded. “You?” She nodded. She latched onto his shirt and buried her face in his chest as he held onto her. 

“What happens now?” Helen asked. 

“We stand here until the Secret Service lifts the crash.” Josh replied. “When’s that?” She responded. 

“When they have the shooter in custody.” Came a voice from the couch. Josh looked over and saw Secretary Vinnick sitting on one of the sofas. 

“Mr. Secretary, I didn’t know you were still here.” 

“I was on my way out.” Vinnick replied. “Now, I get to say I was in the room when.” 

Donna remained in her position over the next couple of minutes and Josh continued to rub her back. “We got her.” Announced Ron Butterfield entering the room. “You can go back to your offices.” 

“Her?” Asked Matt. “It was a her?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Why was she firing on the First Lady’s office?” Josh asked. “We don’t know that yet, sir.” Ron replied. 

“Thank you, Ron.” Matt replied. Annabeth and the Secretary of State left the Oval office and Josh brought Donna into his office and sat her down on the couch, where she leaned her head against him. Well, he thought, this won’t help yesterday’s episode very much. 

Margaret immediately entered the office. “Do you need anything?” She asked. 

“Can you get something for Donna to drink?” Margaret nodded and immediately left the room, emerging a minute or so later with a hot cup of tea. 

“What about you?” She asked. 

“I’m fine.” Josh replied. 

“Do you want me to call the guy about your thing?” Margaret asked. 

“I don’t have a thing.” Josh said defensively. 

Margaret sighed. “Do you want me to call him?” She asked again. 

“I already called him.” Josh informed her. 

“You made an appointment without going through me? What is it with you people!” Margaret shrieked. 

“I can do things, you know.” Josh retorted. “I have two college degrees from, you know, really good schools. Go away.” 

“I’m going go and type you up a new copy of the rules.” Margaret announced. “It appears you need a refresher.” 

Margaret left the room and closed the door. Josh was just turning back to Donna when Matt appeared in the doorway from the Oval Office. “Josh.” He said nodding his head towards his office. Josh kissed her on the forehead. “You gotta keep your head in the game now.” He said softly and pulled away to go into the Oval office. Once inside, he saw Matt and Helen sitting with Ron Butterfield. 

“So?” Asked Josh. 

“The woman was from the Lambs of God.” Ron informed. 

“You’re going to make my day, Ron, if you tell me it was Mary Marsh.” Josh announced. 

“No, Josh.” replied Ron. 

“Did she say why she was firing on the First Lady’s office?” Matt asked. 

“It was a protest.” Ron responded. 

“No kidding.” said a voice from the doorway. Josh looked towards his office and saw Donna standing there. Apparently, she had heard what he said. She was ready to get back to work. What an amazing woman, he thought. 

“It seems she feels that the President and First Lady’s marriage is an abomination. She doesn’t believe in inter-racial marriages.” Ron explained. 

“So I had to die for it?” shrieked Helen. 

“No.” said Ron “She was just trying to get a point across.” 

“Well, she certainly did that.” Said Matt standing up. “All right. It’s 6 o’clock. Let’s call it a day.” He looked over at Josh, who was only too willing to take Donna home. 

“We’ll see you in the morning, sir.” Josh said. “Ma’am.” And he took Donna’s hand and lead her out of the building. 

 

Donna woke up a few hours later and stared at the ceiling. She heard voices coming from the living room. It sounded like Josh was talking to someone. 

“And Stanley’s coming?” The voice belonged to Sam. 

“Yeah.” Josh replied softly. “I don’t know what’s going on, but something’s going on with her.” 

“Has she ever talked to anyone?” Donna furrowed her brow in confusion. That was a female’s voice. 

“No.” said Josh. 

“Wow.” Said the woman. “I wasn’t even in the car, and I talked to someone.” 

“Congresswoman?” Donna stated sitting up in bed and looking through the double French doors that connected the bedroom to the living room. 

“You’re up!” greeted Sam. 

“Congresswoman?” Andi responded. “Are you kidding me? After all we’ve been through, you hit me with a Congresswoman?” 

“What are you doing here, Andi?” she asked. 

“Toby heard what happened and asked me to check on everybody.” Andi responded. 

“Are we having a pity party for Donna now?” Donna glared at Josh. 

“No!” he responded. “This is all just a like a chain of circumstances thing. I was just sitting here and they descended upon the house. Frankly, I’m astonished at how easy it is to get past the Secret Service.” Donna continued to glare at him. “I swear!” 

Donna walked into the kitchen, yanked open the refrigerator and grabbed out a beer. She popped the top off, took a healthy swig and glared at him. 

“I do! I swear I had nothing to do with it!” 

“He had nothing to do with it.” Sam chimed. Just then, the phone rang. Josh looked at the caller i.d. and furrowed his brow. “Yes, sir?” he answered. Donna, Sam and Andi all exchanged curious looks as Josh left the room and took the call in the bedroom. He came back a minute later and looked at Donna. 

“Do we have to go in?” Asked Sam. 

“No.” Josh replied. “He said the First Lady wants you and the rest of the staff to take the rest of the week off.” 

“Absolutely not.” Donna replied. “I’m up to my eyeballs in work right now. I’m fine! I’m not losing my freaking mind!” 

“No.” said Josh “But, I think she might be freaked out.” 

Donna flopped down on the coach and sighed in frustration. In the near year they’d been in office, she really hadn’t had to get in the First Lady’s face. It looked like this was going to be the first time. 

“I’ll give her tomorrow out of respect,” Donna acquiesced, “And then my whole staff will be in the office on Wednesday, and she will be, too, if I have to have the Secret Service drag her kicking and screaming from the Residence in her bathrobe. Surely the President doesn’t think I’m going to let her hide in the bushes.” 

“No.” Josh confirmed smiling. “That’s exactly what he was hoping you’d say.” Whatever the problem was before, this was his Donna, ready to fight, ready to go to work, hating the idea of staying home. 

“What the hell am I going to do all day by myself tomorrow?” She demanded. 

“I’ll bring you lunch.” Andi announced. Donna arched a brow at her and Andi nodded enthusiastically. “It’ll be the perfect opportunity for me to talk to you about UNICEF.” Immediately, Donna started laughing hysterically. Andi feigned shock. Josh and Sam had no idea why Donna was laughing so hard at a member of the U.S. Congress. 

“What the hell is this?” Josh asked. 

Donna was laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. “Do you really want on board with UNICEF?” She asked Andi. “Sure.” Andi replied. “If that’s my penance, I’ll do all the dirty work. Who can’t get behind starving children, especially when they have children?” 

“WHAT??” Josh cried frustrated at the men’s current inability to follow the conversation. 

“I forgot to tell you that we have a thing on Saturday with the President and First Lady,” Donna replied, “on board the Presidential yacht.” 

“What are we going to do on a friggin boat in November?” He demanded. He had a ton of work to do, and he actually looking forward to the quiet of Saturday to get ahead of it. 

“Entertaining guests.” Donna supplied. “You know how I said one of the causes the First Lady is going to be supporting is UNICEF? Well, in a total stroke of I don’t know what, Mrs. Santos decided on inviting the UNICEF’s Good Will Ambassador on the yacht to discuss her involvement in the organization. It’s going to be a great photo op all around, and good stuff will come the organization’s way.” 

“And so, Andi, you want to be in on the photo op?” Sam asked confused. Both Josh and Sam couldn’t figure out for the life of them the importance of this day on the Presidential yacht. 

“Oh no.” Andi assured. “I’m going strictly for the eye candy.” 

“Donna, babe,” Josh began sweetly. “Who the hell is the Good Will Ambassador for UNICEF?” 

“Angelina Jolie.” Donna replied. 

“You get to spend the day with Angelina Jolie?” Sam exclaimed to Josh. “You are da man!” 

“And we get Brad Pitt.” Andi smiled conspiratorily. 

“All right, Andi.” Donna acquiesced. “Come tomorrow with Chinese, and we’ll discuss where we can fit you in.” 

“Yipee!” Andi cried in victory. 

“But, I mean it!” Donna laughed “I’m not above making a member of the U.S. Congress my bitch in exchange for drooling over Brad Pitt all day!” 

 

True to her word, Andi showed up at Josh and Donna’s apartment at 12:30 with lunch and Congressman Matt Skinner. When Donna opened the door and saw him standing there smiling, she broke out in hysterics. 

“How in hell am I going to sell you?” She laughed good-naturedly at her boyfriend’s childhood friend. 

“The President is entertaining movie stars on board the Presidential Yacht?” Matt retorted. “Trust me, you’ll want a Republican there. Besides, I think starving children warrants bi-partisan support.” Donna opened the door and let them in, still laughing all the while. 

 

The next morning, as senior staff was breaking up, Josh lingered behind in the Oval Office for a minute after everyone left. 

“Donna’s heading up to the Residence, this morning, sir.” He informed the President. 

“Good.” Matt replied. “Helen’s vowing to become a First Lady in name only and never set foot in the East Wing again, despite anything I say.” 

“Well, Donna knows she’s going to have to show tough love. I don’t know what the First Lady’s reaction is going to be.” 

“Well, see.” Matt replied, unsure himself. 

 

Donna marched right up to the Residence Wednesday morning with one thought in mind. Take no prisoners. Nobody ever wanted to get in the President’s or the First Lady’s face, but every now and then, it was warranted, and that’s what she was paid for. She found Helen in the sitting room, gazing out the window. 

“Donna,” Mrs. Santos greeted. “I thought Matt told you everyone was staying home this week.” 

“He did.” Donna said simply. “The staff and I took yesterday off because we respect you. Now, I’m here to toss you over my shoulder if I have to and bring you kicking and screaming back down to your office. I will not let you hide in the bushes.” 

Helen arched a brow at her, clearly deciding how she should handle this blatant display of insubordination. 

“Matt put you up to this?” Helen demanded. 

“No.” Donna replied. “This is all me. This is why you hired me. We cannot show the country that we can be intimidated just by what happened yesterday. It’s not just a bad image for the White House, but it’s a bad image for us. You and I talked about an agenda and what we were going to do with this four years, as a team. I’ve been in this building when it’s been shot at twice. It’s unnerving. But our job is to stand up and say, no. That’s what going back to your office says, not only as the public figure you are, but in our Sisterhood. As your teammate professionally and in the Sisterhood, I’m telling you that I’m not letting you get freaked out by that psycho of a woman. I’m not going to leave this room until you get dressed and come downstairs with me. You’re proud of who you are, show the world.” 

Helen studied her for a moment and Donna prayed that her plan had worked. Then she saw the sides of Helen’s mouth twitch. “How in hell were you able to say all that Sisterhood stuff and maintain a straight face?” Donna smiled in response. “I have no idea.” She replied candidly. 

 

The President and Josh were in the Oval Office finishing up another meeting when First Lady and Donna sauntered in. Josh was so proud of her at that moment, he almost exploded. 

“I just want you to know,” Helen announced to Matt, “that I have returned to work in the name of the Sisterhood.” 

Matt and Josh looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then back to the women in their life. 

“The Sisterhood?” Matt asked. 

“Don’t touch it.” Josh advised hastily. “The last thing you want to do as someone who works in this building is cross the Sisterhood. Trust me on this.” 

Matt chuckled. “Would you two give me a minute alone with my wife?” 

“Certainly, sir.” Josh replied ushering Donna to his office and closing the door. 

“Seriously,” Josh asked Donna, once in the sanctuary of Josh’s office with all the doors closed, “you went to her with the Sisterhood?” He couldn’t keep the amusement or pride off his face, which was not lost on Donna. 

“No.” Donna confessed. “I went to her with all the other stuff. The Sisterhood part was to let her know that I understood her feelings, while not undermining them.” 

“You are pure brilliance.” He replied with a kiss before getting more serious. “When’s Stanley coming?” 

“Next Wednesday.” Donna replied, her mood darkening a bit. 

“I don’t want to handle you, babe,” Josh told her quietly, “but, you handled me when I needed it, and it worked.” 

“I know.” Donna whispered lowering her gaze. Josh lifted her chin back up and forced her to look in his eyes. “You are the strongest person I know. You’re the most influential person in my life, and I’d like to keep you that way. I can’t stand watching you hurt, not when I can do something about it.” Donna wrapped her arms around his neck, and Josh sighed into her shoulder, relieved at the sign that he was still getting through. “I love you, Bear,” she whispered. 

 

Surprisingly, there was little grumblings from the Republican side of the aisle about the Saturday boating trip. Donna figured Matt Skinner was right, and now she had bi-partisan support for the First Lady’s platform with UNICEF. Andi and Angelina Jolie hit it off immediately talking about their kids and the cause. Donna knew Andi would rise to the challenge and uphold her promises, it’s what made her one of the few people in Congress Donna liked. She and Matt Skinner, who simply enjoyed the day and his purpose of, as he quoted, “just sitting on a boat being a Republican,” actually seemed rather excited at the prospect of getting involved in a platform with the First Lady. 

Again, Josh applauded her brilliance. She really was shaping up to be quite a formidable force in the party. She knew exactly how to handle the First Lady’s image. Nobody was saying anything bad about Helen. What they said about Matt though was another story, and Josh’s headache. At least something was going right somewhere in the building. 

After the day on the yacht, the focus immediately became the State of the Union coming up. It was the first State of the Union address the President had to give, and Lou and Bram were none too thrilled to discover how soon they had to begin working on it. Josh wanted a first draft ASAP. Even though Josh specifically told Sam not to get involved in the speech writing, he knew he could count on Sam to directly disobey him and do it on the sly. He knew Sam would never be able to stay away from the speech, and Josh was too nervous about their first address not to have Sam on it, but since it wasn’t Sam’s department anymore, he just had to count on the fact that Sam would offer his services “without Josh’s knowledge.” 

TBC


	3. Liberty Belle

Donna was walking to Josh’s office with lunch one afternoon when she was stopped just outside the door by the loud voices inside. She didn’t want to eavesdrop, but she instantly recognized Amy’s elevated shrill voice. She knew she shouldn’t stand there. Josh was expecting her and she was sure now would want the interruption. But something kept Donna grounded to the spot for a minute. 

“Don’t you dare talk to me in that tone of voice.” Amy demanded heatedly. 

“I’ll use any tone of voice I want with you, Amy.” Josh retorted. “I’m your boss. You answer to me.” Donna heard Amy’s scoff of indignation and longed to rip the woman’s hair out. Donna’s aversion to all things Amy was hardly lost on anyone who knew her, those who knew her a long time, knew why. 

“I simply came in here to discuss --” Amy began. 

“Exactly my point.” Josh cut her off. “You don’t have the access to me you think you do. You can’t just come barging in here unannounced and without an appointment and think you can just discuss whatever you feel like and make demands just because of our past history.” 

Now Donna was seething. Any time anyone referred to Amy and Josh’s relationship, she saw red. She knew it was the jealous side of her coming through. The time when Josh and Amy were together was when Donna was still working as Josh’s assistant and before they would admit their feelings for each other. Unfortunately though, Amy saw right through Donna and made sure she told her. 

“I’m simply trying to have a professional discussion with you, Josh, about issues I think should be the President’s and not the First Lady’s.” Amy retorted. “As Legislative Director, I think that’s my job. He needs the women’s groups to get re-elected, he should get behind some of their issues. Nobody elects the First Lady, they elect the President.” 

“Oh, thank you for that titillating Government 101 lesson. I had forgotten how the voting system in America worked.” Josh spat back. Donna could tell that this wasn’t a typical argument between these two at this point. Josh was none too thrilled when the President told him he’d hired Amy as Director of Legislative Affairs and had done his best to swallow his animosity and maintain professionalism over it. Clearly, that wasn’t the case at the moment. 

“I think you’re trying to convince me to take issues away from Donna and give them to you.” Josh continued in a much lower voice. Silence reigned in the room. Donna knew what that tone of voice meant. Here comes her Bear. “You’ve always been obsessed with one-upping her at every chance you get ever since you met her. You want to take away the professional and get personal, Amy? Well, here you go. You think I’m terrifying when I go to war with the Hill? You should see what’s in the arsenal when you mess with Donna.” 

Donna almost burst out in joy when she heard that. She knew the day would come when Josh would take a bite out of Amy’s face and she was glad she got to hear it. Moments later, Amy came storming out of the office. She was so filled with rage, she didn’t even see Donna there. Donna walked into Josh’s office and found him standing by the window with his hands on his hips, glaring outside. When he heard her come in, he looked over at her. Donna could tell when he first turned his head, he was expecting to see Amy coming back in. At least, that’s what she figured, given by the sheer disgust she saw in his eyes. When he realized it was her, his gaze softened. 

“How much did you hear?” he asked softly. 

“Just the end.” Donna confessed. “I suppose I could guess the rest.” 

Josh sighed and dropped down on the couch. Somewhere in that heated argument with Amy, Margaret had discreetly shut the door to her outer office and he now noticed that Donna shut the door she entered through. 

“Did you get me the crispy fries?” He asked her when he noticed she had their lunch. 

“You think after ten years, I forgot how you like your fries?” She laughed. 

He smiled a bit and looked up at her. “I wish you hadn’t heard any of that,” he said quietly. “I know how upset she makes you.” Donna smiled at him, standing over him, she bent down and kissed his forehead. 

“Yeah.” she confessed, “she pisses me off. But if you think I’m the slightest bit unhappy to have heard you slice off a piece of her ass and feed it to her, think again, Bear.” Josh laughed in spite of himself and moved over so she could sit down. They ate quietly for a little bit before Josh broke the silence. 

“You know,” he said, “she’s the only woman in my past that I ask myself what the hell I was thinking when I went out with her.” 

“You thought you saw something that quite obviously wasn’t there.” Donna said gently. “I know you try to see the good in people. You knew Amy in college. Obviously, she had changed since then.” 

“I’m not so sure.” Josh responded. “I’m thinking she was a bitch then too, and maybe I just thought she was hot.” 

Donna laughed. “Well, you were having quite a bit of sex a few years ago.” 

“Don’t remind me!” Josh groaned. “It seems I’m paying for it now. And in more ways than one. I forbid you to bring up my past to haunt me.” He was smiling now though, and Donna knew that her work was done, for the moment. There was still going to be the repercussions from the previous tirade. 

“Oh, okay!” Donna responded. “Let’s talk about how many times you’ve brought up Dr. Freeride over the years!” 

“Well, he was a jerk!” Josh defended. 

“Well, as much as I hate her,” Donna hedged. “I’m glad we have our Amys and Dr. Freerides in our past.” 

“Really? Why’s that?” Josh asked. 

“Because it made us realize what we wanted with each other. Amy may be an uber bitch, but she did make me face my feelings for you.” 

“Oh, shit, babe,” Josh laughed, “after that, you’re going to make me thank her?” 

TBC


	4. Liberty Belle

Josh’s spat with Amy did nothing to lighten his mood over the next few weeks and unfortunately, the West Wing staff was paying for it. He was cracking down on everything. The first thing to go was the impression that his office was a revolving door, something that Sam blatantly ignored, which was a good thing, as it turned out. There was a reason Josh appointed his best friend as his deputy. Sam handled all the knucklehead stuff. Josh was amazed at what Sam kept out of his office and handled on his own. Sam’s confidence in his job really blossomed over the last year, and Josh relied on him more and more with each new issue. 

Donna began to get excited over Christmas in Manchester. She loved the Bartlet’s farm, and she was extremely excited to see her friends. It’d been over a year since she saw CJ, Danny and Charlie. They all moved to California. True to his word, Charlie continued to work with CJ, who was now the CEO of a major public relations firm and Danny wrote a column for the L.A. Times that had just been picked up for national syndication. 

Donna rappd her knuckles against Josh’s open door. He looked up and arched his brows. “You knocked?” 

“Well, you looked lost in thought.” She replied. He sort of was. He had been reading a defense briefing memo and having a hard time concentrating on it. “I think I’m going to have to take this with me to Manchester tomorrow, among others.” He said rubbing his eyes. 

“Well, then President Bartlet can help you with the big words.” she quipped. 

“Again, with the mouth full of wise ass,” he smiled. 

“What time are we out of here?” Donna asked. 

“Well,” Josh responded. “the President and First Lady are wheels up on Air Force One in about an hour. So, why don’t you go get your stuff together so we can bail when they do.” Donna smiled at the thought of leaving early. It was only noon. Were they really going to take a half day? The President had told them that he’d be in Houston for Christmas Eve, and given the fact that Josh was going to be spending the holidays with a former President who still got daily briefings, he wasn’t too concerned if he was going to be out of the office for one day. The Secret Service would fly him back if something blew up. 

Just then, Sam entered the office. “What time are we out of here?” He asked. 

“What?” Josh asked. “You said I could hitch a ride with you up to Manchester.” Sam responded. “What time are we out of here?” 

“An hour.” Josh replied. “An hour!” Sam shrieked. “I’ll never be ready in an hour!” he ran from the room and Donna laughed. 

“Should I tell him that we’re not actually boarding a plane until about 6 o’clock?” Donna giggled. 

“Yeah. You might want to peel him off the ceiling while you’re at it.” Josh smiled in response. 

“I got to tell you,” Donna confessed. “I’m totally psyched about this trip. At first, I kind of wasn’t, but now I really want to go.” 

“Yeah, me too.” Josh smiled. But Donna saw something more there. What was he hatching? 

“All right then. I’ll be back in an hour.” She left the office and Josh looked back down to his briefing memo. The page seemed blank, for all he was able to concentrate on it at the moment.   
“Margaret!” he bellowed. Margaret entered and looked expectantly at him. “What do I have to take to Manchester with me?” They then proceeded to go through the tedious task of packing up Josh’ backpack. 

 

Donna felt soft kisses on her shoulder. She smiled and rolled over to face Josh. “Mmm...” she sighed. “Good morning, Bear.” 

“Merry Christmas, Donnatella,” he replied. Her eyes flew fully opened and her face lit up. 

“What’d I get?!” she asked scrambling up. Josh laughed at her enthusiasm. Every Christmas, Donna turned into an instant six year old. She loved Christmas. And Christmas in Manchester was really growing on her. The Bartlets had put them up in one of their two carriage house suites above the, well, carriage house, next to the main farm house. Now it held all the Secret Services crap, but before that it was once a carriage house. CJ and Danny were in the other suite. 

Abbey Bartlet had really gone out of her way to make their stay magical, too. Each of the guest suites had it’s own decorated Christmas tree and roaring fire. She said after decorating the White House for Christmas, this was nothing. But Donna loved everything about it. Donna and Josh, Sam and his wife, Jenny, had gotten to Manchester the day before Christmas Eve. CJ, Danny, and Charlie flew in yesterday afternoon. Since the farm was still outfitted with a helipad, they flew right to the farm. 

After dinner on Christmas Eve, they hung out drinking and catching up well into the night. Ellie and her family were there, as well as, Zoey, who, as predicted, disappeared with Charlie, not long after he arrived. Liz, had opted for Christmas with Doug’s family. Abbey explained that after the election, Doug didn’t come around the farm too much and Liz didn’t want to push him. But you could see the disappointment on the former President’s face that his whole family wasn’t together on Christmas. 

“You really want to know what you got?” Josh teased. 

“Yeah!” Donna cried. “I already gave you your present!” It was a four-day stay at a quiet B&B in Vermont over New Years, where she promised copious amounts of sex, quiet, and just them time. 

“Okay.” Josh acquiesced. He hopped out of bed and pulled a small fuzzy box out of his backpack. Yay! Donna thought. Jewelry! Josh had incredible taste in jewelry. He flopped down on the bed and flipped open the box. It wasn’t just any jewelry, Donna saw immediately. It was a ring, and a breathtakingly beautiful, incredibly large and sparkley diamond ring. Donna, not being an idiot and knowing her man, knew exactly what it was. “Oh, Josh.” she breathed. When she met his eyes, she saw he didn’t look the slightest bit nervous. Very un-Josh like. 

“Donnatella,” he said softly taking the ring out of it’s box and slipping it on her finger, “I think it’s time. Ever since you walked back into my life on the first campaign, I knew I’d marry you one day. Please, please be my wife.” 

Tears were streaming down her face as she pulled him to her for a kiss. “You didn’t even have to ask.” She said softly. “But, I’m awfully glad you did. Let’s go get married right now.” 

Josh laughed at her response. It was true. Ever since she left Dr. Freeride and came back to the campaign, he knew that she would one day be his wife. One day...did any man ever wait that long for his true love? And she had read him correctly, he wasn’t nervous at all about asking her. He knew her so well, he knew her answer. Was it his famous ego? Maybe. But there was never any doubt in his mind that she’d say anything but yes. 

In the year since they’d been together and President Santos took office, Josh’s outlook on what was important in his life had changed. Of course, his job was extremely important to him, and he still worked every Saturday. But, barring national or international crises, 15 hour days were the abnorm, instead of the norm. He now had something to go home to. He was mostly home by 7 o’clock at night, and she was usually there before him, making him dinner. If he didn’t get home in time, she brought it back to the White House to him. There was always his Donnatella, forever taking care of him and anticipating all his needs. He’d told her the truth. She was what was important to him, she was, as always, what inspired him. 

Forty-five minutes later, they had managed to leave their suite and run the short distance, in their pajamas, through the cold to the main house. As soon as they walked through the kitchen door, the smell of home cooked breakfast hit them. Along with the incredibly amusing sight of the President in front of the oven in an apron. 

“Good morning, sleepyheads.” Jed Bartlet greeted. 

“Something like that.” Josh joked, as Donna poked him in the ribs. “I mean, Merry Christmas, sir. You’ve taken up cooking in your retirement?” 

“Well, I need to put something amusing in my memoirs.” Jed joked. 

“You’re writing memoirs, sir?” Sam asked wandering into the kitchen with Jenny, also still in pajamas. Hey, thought Josh, how did they get a room in the main house? 

“I’m floundering through them.” Jed admitted. “CJ and Danny are already in the dining room. Go on in, that’s where the coffee is.” 

“Sir,” hedged Josh, “maybe I should leave Donna in here with you to help you out?” 

“To the dining room, Joshua!” The former President ordered. 

“Yes, sir.” Josh responded sheepishly. Donna pushed him across the room. 

“What’s with you this morning?” Sam asked Donna. “You look different.” 

“Different? You think?” Donna asked pouring herself a cup of coffee at the buffet in the dining room. 

“Must be the Christmas spirit.” Josh teased. 

“No.” Said Sam. “Something’s definitely different.” 

“Did nobody get dressed this morning?” Danny demanded seeing them all enter. They were all in various forms of pajamas. “Looks like everyone’s inner Christmas child has appeared.” 

Sam kept his gaze shifting between studying Donna’s face, which was brighter than the Christmas Tree and Josh’s goofy, dimpled, boyish grin, which was also quite larger than he’d seen in a while. What the hell was he missing? 

“OH MY GOD!!!” CJ shrieked pointing to Donna as she took a two-handed sip of her coffee. “I’m being blinded by the size of that rock!” 

Rock? Sam thought. What rock? Then he saw it on her finger, albeit quickly, as CJ knocked the chair she was sitting in over as she ran across the room to Donna and yanked on her hand. Jenny was in hot pursuit. Sam heard a low, long whistle emanate from his wife. 

“When did this happen?” CJ demanded. 

“Is that an engagement ring?!” Sam shouted. 

“Nice pick, mi amore.” CJ complimented Josh. 

Suddenly, there was a huge bang from the kitchen and the living room on the other side of the large dining room as Jed and Abbey barged into the room. 

“Engagement ring?” Asked Abbey. “Someone please tell me we’re talking about Josh and Donna!” 

“Ma’am!” Josh laughed good naturedly. 

“Yes.” Donna answered. “Only about an hour ago.” 

Josh wished he had a camera for what followed because everyone in the room, with the exception of Donna and Jenny, turned to him and chorused, “It’s about time, Joshua!” 

 

“So,” asked Jed, as they were all sitting down at the dining room eating, once Ellie and her husband, and Charlie and Zoe had joined them, and everyone had calmed down. “are we having a White House wedding?” 

“Dad!” Ellie and Zoe groaned. 

“We should have a Manchester wedding!” Abbey piped up. All eyes on the table darted to her and Donna perked up. “Really?” she asked eagerly. “Absolutely.” Abbey nodded. “Abigail, that’s your best idea all year.” Jed said. 

“I don’t think we could impose like that.” Donna began. 

“Impose?” Abbey feigned hurt. “We love you all like you’re our own kids.” 

“Ma’am,” began C.J. “Sir,” she continued, “seriously, you two really need to start to think about getting hobbies.” 

“Exactly!” Pointed Jed. “This will give us something to do! We’re already outfitted for the Secret Service!” 

“Really?” Donna hedged again. Abbey nodded encouragingly. “What do you think, Bear?” Donna looked to Josh pleadingly. 

“I already did my part, babe,” he replied. “You just tell me where and when and I’ll show up.” 

“Well, done.” whispered Sam leaning over to his friend. 

“It has to be in the fall.” Abbey said. “With the leaves changing, outside...” 

“Perfect!” Jed cried. “Donna is well versed in New England leaf peeping in fall, right Donna?” 

“Oh, yes, sir.” Donna said recalling that long day in the Oval Office so many years ago. 

“But, I don’t believe the lovely Jenny is.” Jed continued looking at Sam’s wife, who had been quiet most of the morning. “Jenny, did you know leaf peeping is a thing in the fall?” 

 

Later, C.J. and Donna were bundled up walking around the farm catching up. It’d been so long since they had girl talk. They kept in touch through email and occasional phone calls, but they were both so busy, they hardly had any chance to really talk, and Donna missed that. In Bartlet’s last years in office, C.J. had really become a close friend of Donna’s and something of a confidant, something Donna didn’t have there now. Plus, C.J. knew all of Donna and Josh’s history, so Donna didn’t have to go through a whole thing with C.J. when she had to explain why something upset her or made her angry. C.J. already knew the root of the cause of everything. 

“So, Donna,” C.J. said, “I’ve never heard you call Josh Bear before.” 

“Yeah.” Donna replied. 

“I’d ask where it came from, but anyone who knows him can draw their own conclusions.” 

“It started out as a political nickname really.” Donna confessed. 

They’d been walking for a while now, and it was very cold, and C.J. just seemed to continue to make small talk. 

“Jenny’s kind of quiet.” CJ noted. “Do you know her well?” 

“Not real well, but well enough. We get together with them a lot.” Donna said. “She tends to get a little introverted at things like this. Usually at White House stuff she’s real quiet, especially when the President and First Lady are around. I think she feels a little out of her element in this area, I would think especially this weekend. We’ve all been talking about old times and have all these stories, and she’s on the outside looking in.” 

“Yeah, but Sam missed a lot of those stories, too.” CJ reminded. 

“But Sam knows us all.” Donna replied. 

“I guess.” said CJ. They walked along quietly again for a time when they came upon a swing set that the Bartlets had put up for the grandkids. Okay, Donna noted, it was actually a large playground, but CJ and Donna’s inner children were attracted immediately to the swings. 

“C.J.” Donna hedged as they slowly began to swing. “What the hell is going on? What aren’t you telling me?” 

C.J. rolled her eyes and nodded her head in her total C.J.’s-got-something-to-say-but-doesn’t-want-to-say-it-way. 

“Well, as it turns out, it would seem I have an announcement of my own to make this Christmas.” 

Well, Donna figured, they were already married, so that could only mean one thing. “And you’re not happy?” Donna concluded. 

“I don’t know!” C.J. burst. “Danny is practically busting at the seems, but I just keep thinking, Oh my God! I’m 45 years old, what the hell am I doing?” 

“Having a life, C.J., that’s what you’re doing.” Donna stated simply. “I think you’re going to be a great mother, and Danny, well, any man that dresses up in a Santa costume is definitely going to be a fantastic father. You’re over-analyzing this, like you do everything. Isn’t this the exact reason why you wouldn’t take a job with the new administration, so you can have a life?” 

“Yeah,” C.J. grudgingly admitted. “I just feel like people are going to say, what’s that old lady doing having a baby?” 

Donna laughed out loud at that. “C.J., who on this planet has the guts to say that to you? You’re a private citizen, you don’t do the Taylor Reid show any more. I, for one, am ecstatic for you, to say nothing about what President Bartlet and Dr. Bartlet are going to be. Go! Make babies! Be a woman, and a wife, and a mom!” 

C.J. smiled shyly to Donna. “It would be fun to have a little girl.” 

“Then, I’ll have a flower girl.” Donna replied. 

“What about you?” C.J. asked clearly changing the subject. “How are you and Josh going to plan a wedding, go on a honeymoon, and have kids, while working in the White House?” 

“President Santos runs a very different White House than President Bartlet. Josh is home by 7:30. We don’t work Sundays, crises excepted. He only works a half-day on Saturdays, and President Santos insists people take their vacation time. It took Josh a while to get used to it, but once he did, he was a lot more relaxed. And me? Well, I’m busy enough in my job, but it’s tough to make it into a ten-hour day. I mean, don’t get me wrong, obviously there’s been times where he hasn’t crawled in until 3 a.m. and then disappeared before I woke up, but in the past year, I think that’s happened like three or four times.” 

“Wow.” C.J. said enviously. “That is quite the difference.” 

“Yeah. I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder how happy he really is.” Donna confided. “Sometimes I wonder if he’s getting burned out and stuff. He doesn’t seem to enjoy it as much as he used to.” 

“It’s probably the situation room.” CJ confessed. “That certainly gave me an entirely new spin on working in the White House.” 

“Yeah?” Donna asked. 

“It can get pretty disheartening in there.” CJ continued. “It’s hard to separate the personal from the professional, especially when you’ve always found out what went on in there after the fact. Being in the room isn’t always that exciting.” Donna and CJ swung back and forth for a couple of minutes. Donna now pondering CJ’s new revelation to her, and CJ now happy she made the decision that she did. 

“Are you really going to get married here?” CJ asked changing the subject. 

“Looks like it!” Donna laughed. “They do have a point, it is outfitted for the Secret Service already. And is it me, or are they desperate for something to do?” 

C.J. laughed in answer. “I think they’re going to pull their hair out soon! We’ll have to help them find something to get involved in.” 

“Apparently, they’re going to take up wedding planning.” 

 

“Is this seriously okay with you?” Donna questioned Josh snuggling deeper under the quilt they were laying under. They were back in their suite above the carriage house, laying on the floor in front of a roaring fire. The only light in the room was from the fireplace and the white lights on the Christmas tree. 

“I told you, babe,” he replied, “you just tell me where and when. I leave it all in your capable hands.” 

“Or rather Abbey’s.” Donna laughed. “But you’re Jewish and I’m Lutheran.” Donna pointed out. 

“So, we’ll have a Judge do it.” Josh solved. “Evvy Lang owes me a favor.” 

Donna turned to face him. “You’re going to drag the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court up to New Hampshire to perform a wedding?” 

“She owes me a favor.” Josh repeated. “It’s because of me she’s on the Supreme Court.” 

“Not to feed your ego any more, but this is true.” Donna acquiesced. 

“Babe, you do whatever you want. I give you carte blanche. I’m not kidding. The only thing I want is you.” 

Donna smiled and stared into the flames. She couldn’t believe the course her life had taken. Here she was, a farm girl from Wisconsin, with no college degree, Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States, a First Lady, who thank God was an active and hands on First Lady and not just a ceremonial one. And now, she was getting married to the man of her dreams, her best friend. The man who had literally taken a chance on an unknown kid a decade earlier. She never imagined that she’d be this lucky in her career or her life. 

“What are you thinking about?” Josh whispered. 

“That I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.” She answered kissing him softly. “And that the last thing I thought when I walked into the Bartlet for America campaign and you asked me what the hell I was doing answering your phone, that I would end up where I am now.” 

“First of all, I did not ask you what the hell you were doing answering my phone.” Josh corrected. “I didn’t use those words.” 

“Pretty close.” Donna remembered.   
“Well, if I’m not mistaken, you were freaking me out! You walked into my life and made yourself at home.” 

“If you were so freaked out, why’d you hire me?” she demanded. 

“Well, first of all, you hired yourself, as usual, I had no say in the situation.” he laughed. “And secondly, you were hot.” Donna feigned offense and slapped his arm. 

“So you let me stay because I was hot, young, and blonde?” 

“I’m not sure I actually let you do anything.” Josh said. “What I should have done was assigned you to someone else, so we could have started this years ago.” She rolled onto her back and he propped himself up on an elbow to look down at her. 

“Uh-uh.” she said, “no good. We were too good of a team.” 

“Correction. We are too good of a team.” 

TBC


	5. Liberty Belle

Abbey Bartlet became Donna’s best friend over the coming months. She easily called Donna four or five times a week, sometimes two or three times a day asking her opinion on details for the wedding and where she and Jed were planning on setting up for the ceremony and the reception and alternate plans in case it rained, new flowers they were planting that bloomed in October. Annabeth walked into Donna’s office one morning to find Donna bouncing her head repeatedly off her desk. 

“How in the world do you handle TWO First Ladies?” Annabeth laughed. 

“Help! Please!” Donna begged. “I’m going crazy. I love her to death but she’s making me nuts! I’ve even got Zoe calling me now and telling me it’s my own damn fault for setting her mother loose!” 

“Why don’t you call off the dogs?” Annabeth asked. 

“I don’t have time to plan a wedding.” Donna sighed. “Abbey’s recruited my mother too. The two of them are like a couple of 16 year olds with their parents stolen credit card set loose in the mall.” Annabeth laughed at Donna’s obvious discomfort. “Oh sure, laugh it up.” Donna replied as Donna’s assistant buzzed in tell her Josh was on the line. She answered with, “You know my mother’s in Manchester...Again!” 

Josh grinned into the phone at his fiance’s greeting. He was still getting used to referring to her as his fiancé and every time he thought of it his stomach fluttered. “Matt Skinner called me.” He explained. “He wants you to take him with you on your next trip up there.” 

“You want me to set a Republican loose at the Bartlet family farm?” 

“Admit it,” Josh chided. “you need him.” 

“What’s up?” Donna asked trying to see if there was an actual purpose to his phone call. 

“Nothing. I just wanted to hear the sound of your voice.” Donna smiled into the phone and Annabeth made a gagging motion. “What time are you out of here?” she asked. 

“So far, on time.” he replied. 

“Great!” 

“Listen, I have a trip coming up.” 

“Ah-ha. The truth outs. Where to?” She tried to hide her disappointment. She hated when he went away. Of course, she knew it wasn’t his fault and she didn’t blame him, but she was always so lonely when he was gone. He was quite the commanding presence in her life, bellowing aside. 

“Japan.” 

“Japan?!” she shrieked. “How long are you going to be gone?” 

“A couple of days.” 

“All right.” she sighed into the phone. “You can give me the details later.” 

“Bye, babe.” he said hanging up. 

Donna put the phone back in the cradle and propped her head up on her hand staring at it for a bit. This sucks, she thought. She knew he didn’t like to go, and there really wasn’t anything that could be done about it, but still, just thinking about it made her lonely. 

Donna looked up when she heard a quick rapping noise on the door connecting her office with the First Lady’s announcing the First Lady’s entrance into the room. Donna and Annabeth immediately stood up in greeting. “Hi, ma’am. What can we do for you?” Donna questioned. 

“Well, you can start with not calling me ma’am like I asked you a year ago!” Helen joked. 

“Of course, ma’am.” Donna replied. Helen hated the formality between them, but she knew that Donna and Annabeth were so well drilled in protocol at this point she’d never win this battle. 

“Anyway,” Helen continued, “how would you guys like to go to Japan?” Donna immediately perked up and she and Annabeth exchanged looks of excitement. 

“Really? They need us?” 

“Well,” Helen said, “there’s going to be a state dinner for us and I’ll have to do all these official things with the Emperor’s wife and a bunch of stuff, and seeing as how I’ve got no idea what I’m doing, yeah, I need you two!” This is why Donna loved working for Helen, her absolute candor. 

“A state dinner you say, ma’am.” Donna smiled mischievously. 

“Yes.” Helen nodded. “Why?” 

“We’re going to have to go dress shopping.” Annabeth smiled. 

“Well, now isn’t that just a trying way to spend a day.” Helen agreed. “Let’s go.” 

 

It was quarter to seven and Josh was thinking of calling Donna and packing it up and calling it a day when the President wandered into his office. Josh stood up when he entered. “Sir?” he greeted. 

Matt slowly wandered around Josh’s office with his hands in his pockets looking around. “Hmm?” Matt asked. 

“Something on your mind, sir?” Josh asked. 

“Getting ready to go?” Matt asked. 

“I was, unless you need something?” 

“Nope, I’m fine.” 

“I was just going to call Donna and head out.” Josh explained. 

“Mmm, not so much.” Matt replied. Josh looked curiously at the President. It almost seem as if he was...no, he couldn’t be...but yet...was the President actually bored? 

“So, you do need something then, sir?” 

“Our women are out dress shopping.” Matt explained. 

“For what?” Josh smiled. 

“Japan.” Matt answered. “Helen’s bringing Donna and Annabeth to help her with all the official stuff.” Josh immediately broke into a grin. “Yeah, I thought you’d like that. You can stop moping around now.” 

“I don’t believe I was moping, sir.” 

“Oh, you were moping all right.” 

“Okay, maybe a little bit.” 

“So,” said Matt. “I was thinking we could grab Otto, Bram and Lester, and you know, do as men do.” 

“Do as men do?” repeated Josh. “I’m not sure I even remember what that is. What did you have in mind?” 

“Well, rumor has it, during the Bartlet administration there was more than a few late night poker games around here. I was thinking of setting up the table in my office and getting a game going.” 

“No, sir. There is no gambling in the Oval Office.” Josh said. Matt looked slightly disappointed. “There can be, however, gambling in my office.” Matt perked up at hearing that news. “So, go get changed and I’ll get it together.” 

 

Around midnight, Donna woke up to hear thuds and cursing coming from the living room. Josh must have finally wandered in. He’d called her cell phone to tell her about the poker game, so she just headed home from shopping. She sat up in the bed when he entered the bedroom. 

“Sorry, babe. Did I wake you?” 

“Yeah --” Donna began. But suddenly her expression changed and she began to smell him. She crinkled up her nose and waved her hand in front of her face. “Joshua, you smell like beer and cigars! Are you drunk?” 

“No!” he replied. “I’m not drunk at all.” she continued to watch him as he stumbled around the room taking off his clothes and flinging them haphazardly around. “Well, I guess I might be.” 

“How did you get this way? You know you have a sensitive system.” she said as he rolled his eyes. “What the hell are you doing getting drunk? I thought you were playing poker in your office.” 

“We were.” 

“You smoked cigars and got drunk in the White House!” she screeched. 

“Aw, babe, please don’t yell.” he said grabbing his head and falling onto the bed. “The room is spinning now.” 

“Bear, you reek.” she reiterated. 

“Hey, listen,” he said rolling over and looking up at her. “I’m not going to complain about my detail anymore, wanna know why?” 

“Why?” she crawled out of bed and into their bathroom starting the shower. There was NO way he was coming to bed smelling like this. 

“Because for the next three years at least, I always have a designated driver! It’s awesome! Matt pointed that out.” 

“Matt?” Donna asked. “You mean the President?” 

“Yeah, that guy.” 

“Josh, get in the shower.” Josh slid off the bed and crawled into the bathroom. He stopped at the toilet to throw up a bit, and then finally slithered his way into the shower. 

“Are you the only one who got this way?” she demand. 

“Hell no, babe!” Josh called. “You should see Bram! Man, that guy can’t drink for shit! He passed right out on my couch. I bet the President 50 bucks he’d be there in the morning. ‘Course, the President lives there, so I suppose he could have him moved, and I’d lose that bet. Hey!” he shouted pulling back the shower curtain. “Hey, guess what! You’re coming to Japan with me!” 

“Yes, I’m aware.” 

“We can have sex in Japan!” 

“All right.” Donna finalized. “That’s it. Get out of there. Time for bed. You’re lucky it’s Saturday tomorrow.” 

“I work on Saturday.” Josh said.   
“Not tomorrow you don’t.” she retaliated. 

Donna helped him into bed and she pulled the covers up. She laid down next to him and he pulled her close. 

“Babe?” he whispered. 

“Yeah?” 

“You’re the greatest.” 

TBC


	6. Liberty Belle

The Japanese trip went better than could be expected. The First Lady was a hit and she performed all her duties flawlessly, thanks to Donna and Annabeth. The return flight on Air Force One was something else all together. 

Josh and Donna were both sleeping, along with Sam and Lou, in the comfortable seats in the staff cabins when a sudden loud bang and jerk of the plane jolted them awake. Josh looked out the window and saw a large ball of fire zooming away. The plane continued to jerk and jolt in different directions. 

Air Force personnel and Secret Service agents were rushing all over the plane. 

“Did we just get fired upon?” Sam asked looking out the window. Josh and Donna immediately looked out the window. 

A secret service agent appeared at their seats. “Sir?” he said to Josh. “Would you come with me please.” Josh kissed Donna and followed him without a word. 

“It’s the ECM.” Donna supplied. Sam looked at her confused. “Electronic counter measures.” she continued as the aircraft continued to jerk about. “The plane is equipped with it to jam enemy radar, throw heat seeking missiles off course, and apparently fire it’s own.” 

Donna and Sam continued to look out the window and watched in horror as the F-14 fighter jet on their wing exploded. “That just come from us?” Sam gaped. 

Suddenly, the plane evened off and they saw that they were now accompanied by five additional F-14s. 

“Wait a minute.” Lou said now seemingly finding her voice. “Are you telling me that Air Force One just blew an American fighter jet out of the sky over who the hell knows where?” 

“It would certainly appear so.” Donna replied. “How do you know so much about Air Force One?” Lou interrogated. 

“A couple of years ago,” Donna explained, “the plane had a situation with it’s landing gear. They had an indicator light that came on and said it wasn’t going down, and it was on a moonless night, so the jet couldn’t get a good visual. Anyway, Josh had me call Andrews and find out all I could about the plane so I could brief the President, who after a long flight was incredibly pissed off to be continually flying around up there.” 

“Which is probably what we’re about to do.” Sam supplied. 

“We’re coming back from Japan,” Lou reminded. “Sooner or later, we’ll have to refuel.” 

“We can do that in the air.” Donna continued. “We can actually stay up here for a few days before we run out of food.” 

“Okay. We’re going to need to get back and talk to the press.” Lou said going into communications mode. 

“Well, I’m sure all phones have been shut off at this point.” Donna said, “so they’re not likely to be talking to anyone.” Lou stood up to walk to the press cabin to make sure they were calm and not calling their editors, and an armed Air Force solider immediately appeared at her side. 

“Keep your seat, ma’am.” He ordered. The three of them exchanged glances as the solider took up post at the entrance to the cabin. Donna could see another soldier on the other side. “The military personnel on this plane are armed.” Sam said pointing out the obvious. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” came the Air Force General pilot’s voice over the loud speaker, “as you’ve already deduced, Air Force One has been fired upon. The attacking aircraft has been eliminated and we are flying under full security and out of immediate danger. For your protection, you are asked to remain in your seats. All phones have been turned off, and all cellular devices will be immediately confiscated upon their use. There are armed military personnel throughout the plane. For your safety, please remain seated until further notice. For the protection of everyone on board, we are not supplying any information on our current coordinates, flight pattern, or elevation.” 

“They think somebody’s on the plane.” Sam whispered. 

“I wonder if we’ve changed course.” Lou said. “Maybe we’re heading to one of our overseas bases.” 

“Or we’ll just stay in the air.” Sam pondered. “The President is safer on board and in the air than on the ground. He’s got a situation room right on board, along with military advisors and Josh. If we’re out of immediate danger, we’ll stay up here until they’ve determined what’s going on. We don’t even know if it’s safe to go back to Washington.” The power of that thought sunk and quieted the three of them for a long time to come. 

 

“Wait a second,” the President demanded of the Air Force General in the plane’s communications situation cabin. “we’ve been fired upon by one of our own aircraft? Who the hell is flying with us?” 

“The pilot of the rogue F-14's name is Lieutenant Benjamin Williams.” the General supplied. “He was 28 years old, a Navy pilot for ten years.” 

“Why the hell is he firing on us?” the President demanded. 

“At the moment, sir, we can’t answer that question, we blew him out of the sky.” 

“Air Force One shot down an American F-14?” Josh asked. 

“No. The other F-14 escort shot down an attacking aircraft, Mr. Lyman,” The General explained. “American or otherwise. That’s procedure.” 

“He couldn’t have had an escort to land?” Josh continued. 

“I don’t have time to ask a lot of questions when the President of the United States is attacked, sir.” the General returned. “If you shoot at the President, you will be neutralized. At this time, we don’t know whether he was acting alone.” 

“Meaning what?” Santos asked. 

“Meaning he could have had a signal from someone on the plane.” the General explained. 

“Is anyone able to get into the pilot’s cockpit?” Josh questioned wishing he had Donna with him right now to explain the workings of the plane. 

“Absolutely not, sir.” the General answered. “It’s a sealed door. Only the people inside the pilot’s cockpit can open it. But as security measure, there are armed guards posted outside with orders to shoot anyone who tries.” 

“What about the White House?” Josh asked. “Has anything on the ground been attacked? Where’s the Vice President?” 

“The Vice President and the Speaker have been moved to secure locations. The White House is in lock down and has not been attacked at this time.” The General explained. 

“At this time, are we assuming it’s safe to return to Washington? Where are we?” Santos asked. 

“We’ve changed course. We’re over Germany and returning to Washington, sir.” 

“What do you think, General?” Santos asked. “Do you think we’re under attack?” 

“I’m not prepared to answer that question fully, sir.” the General replied. “But no. I do not believe we’re under attack. I believe we were the victim of a rogue pilot. I think were this some kind of coup or conspiracy it would be a lot more obvious now. That jet was downed over an hour ago. Something would have happened on the plane by now. I think that pilot was working alone.” Santos nodded and looked over at Josh, who was wearing a rather curious expression on his face. 

“Josh, what are your thoughts?” Matt asked. When Josh didn’t immediately answer the President asked again, “Josh?” 

“I’m inclined to agree with the General at this point.” Josh said. “The crew on this plane knows how the plane functions. They would have known a missile wouldn’t have hit us. They would know that you can’t reach the pilot, and they’d know that not only do they have to get through the something like 12 Air Force personnel and then the secret service on the other side of this door, they can’t get to you. The First Lady is equally as secure right now. I agree with the General, I don’t think anyone’s on the plane.” 

Matt nodded and turned back to the General. “When can I move around the plane again?” he asked. “I think it’s extremely important that the press corps can see me right now.” 

“You can go now, sir.” replied the General. “Expect a large escort.” 

Matt left the room and Josh stayed behind an extra minute to talk to the General. “General,” Josh began “I don’t think I remember Air Force One ever being fired upon.” 

“It hasn’t.” the General confirmed. 

“What did the pilot get on his last psych evaluation?” Josh continued. 

“That’s what’s being looked at now.” 

“Keep me posted.” Josh said nodding and left the room. 

 

Josh slid into the seat next to Donna and she threw her arms around his neck. Lou and Sam noticed that security in their cabin increased as soon as he reentered. 

“What the hell?” Lou demanded. “We shot down one of our planes?” 

“No.” replied Josh, “the other F-14 escort shot it down, and we’re not having the rest of this conversation yet. We are, however, returning to the White House via an alternate flight plan than the one we were on. We’ll refuel in the air, if we need to. Nothing else has been attacked and the White House is secure.” He gave Donna’s hand a squeeze and looked over at Sam, who nodded his understanding that that was all Josh would tell them now. 

Lou leaned back in her seat and sighed, clearly unsatisfied with his answer, but knowing full well that was all she was going to get for a while. “I never thought that I’d have a job where I got shot at twice in one month.” she announced. 

“You didn’t get shot at.” Donna snapped. “The First Lady got shot at, and then the President got shot at. You think the pilot of that jet was really aiming for you?” 

“No. But I could have been shot both those times.” 

“Let’s change the subject.” Sam jumped in when he saw Donna’s murderous glare at Lou. 

“To what?” Lou asked. “What do you want to talk about? You can think about something else right now?” 

“Hey, babe,” Josh said to Donna, “When we get back to Washington, let’s get a dog.” 

Three heads snapped in his direction all with the same confused expression on their face. 

“You want to get a dog, Bear?” Donna asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“In our apartment?” 

“Yeah.” Josh said. “I think a dog would be fun, don’t you?” 

“Are you kidding me?” she responded. 

“What?” he asked. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not crazy. I’m changing the subject.” 

“Okay.” said Donna. “What kind of dog did you have in mind?” 

“I don’t know. But a man’s dog, you know? Not some little yappy, fru-fruey thing.” 

“Fru-fruey.” Lou replied. “That’s a word now?” 

“Yeah, you know what I mean? Not some little white, yippy thing that people carry around in a bag and put sweaters on.” Josh qualified. 

“We don’t exactly have a huge apartment.” Donna reminded. “You don’t think the dog would be cooped up a lot?” 

“Nah. I run in the mornings, I’ll take him with me. Then Sundays, we can take him down to the mall and throw frisbees. A dog’ll be fun.” 

“Yeah.” Donna said “The Secret Service would love you running around the city with a dog.” 

“You could get a German Shepherd.” Sam piped in following Josh’ lead. “That’s a manly dog.” 

“Or a Rottweiler.” Josh said. “Someone can take my picture and put it in the paper, and it’ll scare the Republicans.” 

“All those years people called you the President’s attack dog, you’d have one of your own.” Sam continued. 

“I could loan him to you, and you could get your picture in the paper with him, too, and then the Republicans would be afraid of you, too.” Josh bargained. 

“Maybe that’d make him a tax write off.” 

“Okay! Enough!” Lou jumped in. “I’d rather pass the flight in silence then listen to this!” 

“You’re the President’s attack dog now, Sam.” Josh continued as if Lou hadn’t even spoken. “You should definitely be seen with him.” 

“AAAAaaaggghhhh!!!!” Lou cried. 

“Hey, I’m still the boss here.” Josh reminded. 

“I’m in hell.” Lou said quietly. 

“I’m in hell, sir.” Josh qualified. 

“Oh for crying out loud!” 

Donna laughed and leaned over to kiss Josh’s cheek. He responded by squeezing her hand as Sam chuckled at Lou’s obvious discomfort with being with the three of them. 

They were always so chummy. Lou thought. Them and the whacky red-head. Like a little elite club, the group of cool kids. Not that Lou took this job to make friends. White House Communications Director meant she could pretty much write her own ticket in three or seven more years, if she could survive these guys that long. 

She really didn’t begrudge them the friendship and commraderie that they obviously shared, but sometimes it was a little frustrating. Like the way Sam was all over she and Otto’s ass about the state of the union address, insisting on seeing the early drafts and signing off on them before they went to Josh. She wasn’t stupid, she knew what was going on there. They didn’t trust her and Otto with the first major address, at least not entirely. And so it seemed with everything. Josh trusted his staff, just not as much as Sam. Even when he directed Lou to lias with the East Wing, it always ended with him saying, “Donna’ll know.” 

She even once heard Josh and Margaret have an entire conversation without finishing a single sentence. She was trying so hard to keep up, she got dizzy. How did they *do* that? And they all *do* with each other. It’s unnerving.   
And what’s with the thing thing? Everything’s a thing; nothing’s got a name! 

 

Later, it would be determined that the pilot of the F-14 was working entirely on their own, spawning a whole new investigation into the battery of tests, investigating, background checks and more that the pilots go through before being assigned to fly with the President. 

TBC


	7. Liberty Belle

“So,” Josh said to Donna Saturday night, rubbing his hands together, “What kind of dog do you want to get tomorrow?” 

“You were serious about that?” 

“Don’t you think that a puppy would be good practice for a baby?” Josh responded. 

“What baby?” 

“Our baby.” 

“I’m not pregnant.” Donna pointed out. 

“But one day you will be.” Josh retorted. 

“I suppose.” she replied. “And so you actually want a dog?” Josh nodded like a little boy and Donna couldn’t help but laugh. “All right.” she gave in. “We’ll go look at the animal shelters tomorrow and see what they got. But I’ll have you know, this has disaster written all over it!” 

As it turned out, there were two chocolate lab puppies at the DC pound. “We can’t leave them both here, Donna.” Josh said desperately. 

“Josh!” Donna exclaimed, “we can’t have two dogs in our apartment. I’m wondering how and where we’re going to fit one of them.” 

“Let me think.” Josh said and began to pace in front of the small cage that held the puppies, who were pouncing and barking trying to catch him. Donna watched as Josh tried to work out how they were going to take both these dogs. They were cute, she admitted, but there was no way that they were both coming home with them. The city animal control worker watched the scene uneasily, obviously taking note of the secret service agents standing stoically close by. “I got it!” Josh exclaimed pulling out his cell phone. 

“Who are you calling?” Donna demanded. 

“Margaret?” Josh said into the phone. “Sorry to bother you on a Sunday. Do me a quick favor, send two of my interns over to my apartment. Tell them to pack a bag of extra clothes.” He hung up his phone and turned to the kennel working. “We’ll take them both.” Donna crossed her arms in front of her and arched a brow at him. “And just where is the other one going?” she asked expectantly. 

“Manchester.” 

“Are you crazy!?” Donna shrieked. “You’re going to dump a puppy unexpectedly on the Bartlet’s doorstep?” 

“They’ve got plenty of time to take care of a dog, they’ve got a farm so he can run around; their grandkids will love it.” 

“They’re going to kill you.” Donna predicted. 

“Nah,” Josh dismissed. “they need stuff to do. This is perfect.” 

“I was on Dr. Bartlet’s detail for three years, sir,” piped in Agent Cooper at Josh’s side. “she’s really going to kill you.” he warned. 

“See.” Donna said. “It’s such a bad idea, Coop, who hardly ever says anything is telling you it’s a bad idea.” 

“It’s a done deal.” Josh said determinedly. 

Two days later, President Santos had stopped into Josh’s office when Margaret buzzed through with a phone call. Santos was just about to step back into the Oval Office when he heard, “Josh, President Bartlet’s on the line for you.” 

“Serving two masters, Josh?” Santos quipped. 

“Sir, if you want to see how a pro hands me my ass, by all means, have a seat.” Invited Josh. Santos didn’t need to be asked twice. He immediately took up residence on Josh’s couch, eager to see why his Chief of Staff was about to get an ass ripping from the former President. 

“Good morning, sir!” Josh greeted hitting the speaker phone button. 

“JOSHUA, HOW DID THAT BULLET NOT KILL YOU!” Bartlet shouted into the phone. 

“Before you continue, sir, you should know that the current leader of the free world is in my office now.” Josh warned. 

“Take notes, Matt!” Jed advised. 

“I am anxiously waiting to see what this about.” Matt replied. 

“A puppy?” Jed shouted. “You send two kids here with a freaking puppy?” 

“His name is Liberty. Donna and I thought it would be therapeutic for you, sir; taking long walks on the farm with your dog, and all that.” Josh hedged. “It was a thank you for all the hard work you and Dr. Bartlet are doing for our wedding.” 

“You leave my Donnatella out of this.” Jed ordered. “This has your idiot fingerprints all over it. And speaking of my wife...” 

On cue, Josh and Matt heard Abbey’s distinctive voice “Joshua, that thing just shit all over my Persian rug! I’m going to slap you silly when I see you again, you jackass!” 

Josh laughed and shook his head. Matt was astounded how Josh could take this this laid back, they were really tearing into him. 

“Do you believe this, Matt?” Jed demanded. 

“Better you than me, Jed.” Matt quipped. 

“I hate to think you had anything to do with this.” 

“Oh no, Jed.” Matt assured. “I knew nothing about this, but I’m enjoying the repercussions immensely.” 

“Joshua,” Jed continued in a much more calm, lowered voice, which Josh remembered all too well did not bode well for him. “if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to spend every waking minute training this dog to my liking, so when you come up here in the fall, or sooner, if I so order, it’ll waste no time biting you in your sorry ass!” 

“I look forward to it, sir.” Josh laughed. “You should know, we have his sister Belle at our apartment. Maybe we’ll bring her up for a reunion.” 

“You do that, Joshua.” Jed continued. “Wait a minute, did you say your dog’s name is Belle and this one is Liberty?” 

“Yes, sir.” Josh smiled. 

Josh was relieved when he heard Bartlet start chuckling on the other end of the phone, finally, he saw humor in something. 

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the background with the unmistakable sound of breaking china. “JOSHUA!” the former First Lady shrieked. “Gotta go, sir!” Josh called. “We’re being bombed!” He shut the speaker phone off and looked over at Matt who had a wide grin on his face. 

“I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about being hung up on.” Matt quipped. Josh laughed and dialed Donna’s extension to let her know their gift made it, which she quickly reminded him was his gift. 

TBC


	8. Liberty Belle

Congressman Brian Davis (D - Wisconsin) just returned to his office when his secretary buzzed in to announce he had a visitor. “Who is it, Tricia?” the Congressman asked. 

“Congressman Skinner, sir.” she replied. Skinner? Davis thought. That sounded vaguely familiar, but then, there were over 500 members of Congress that he had to get to know, so people would probably be vague for a while. Why would anyone be coming to see him now? He just got here. He was a mid-term elected freshman Congressman and the session was just starting next week. He hadn’t even had any time to piss anyone off yet. Wait, did he? No. So far, he’d just gone to a meeting on protocol and etiquette, mostly stuff about when it really wasn’t okay to piss off the White House, and then he went to lunch. “Well, send him in.” Davis permitted. 

 

Skinner sized up the new guy immediately on entering, taking in the man’s appearance. Tall, dark hair, okay looking, kind of skinny, not really his type. So, this was him then. What the hell was Wick all in a tizzy about? He didn’t seem like such a big deal to him. Matt Skinner looked around the office. There were numerous framed degrees already hung. Was that a medical degree? Matt should probably start reading the shit they sent around on the new people at the start of the sessions. 

“Congressman Skinner?” Davis asked, advancing on the man with his hand out. Matt shook his hand still eyeing him up. “Congressman Davis, welcome.” Matt greeted. “What can I do for you?” Davis offered. 

That was a good question, Matt thought. What the hell was his excuse for coming over here? Chris was going on about something in the protocol meeting this morning about this guy and Josh and that he had to come over here and check it out right away. “I just came by to introduce myself. My office is close to this one.” 

“Oh, well nice to meet you.” Davis said. “Wait, aren’t you a republican?” 

“Yes, that’s what they tell me.” Matt replied. “A republican can say hello to a democrat, right?” 

“Oh, yeah.” Davis said waving his hand in the air. “I’m just trying to figure out who everyone is still. I was trying to remember what I read about you, so I could associate you with stuff.” 

“Oh.” Said Matt. “Well, I hope we’ll see you at the welcome reception tonight at the White House.” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Davis assured. “First of all, I’ve never been to the White House, and secondly I’m anxious to say hello to an old friend of mine that works there.” Matt thought a strange expression had come over Davis’s face when he said that. Maybe this was the Josh thing Chris was talking about. 

“Oh, who do you know over there?” asked Matt. 

“Donna Moss. I knew her 100 years ago. I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with her.” 

Shit, thought Matt. His first inclination was to immediately warn this guy off of Donna. Everyone in the city knew if you didn’t want to piss off the White House, you didn’t hit on the Chief of Staff’s girlfriend. But then, something about this guy sort of rubbed Matt the wrong way, and he decided to let things play out and see what happened. Maybe Davis and Donna went to high school together. No. This guy had a medical degree on his wall. Oh, yeah, thought Matt. This was going to be fun. 

 

“Josh.” Margaret said entering his office. Josh was just about to go meet Donna over at the reception. “No.” Josh replied. “I’m going to thing.” 

“Yeah, but you have people here.” Margaret replied clearly annoyed. 

“I do?” Josh asked. “Who?” 

“Congressmen Skinner and Wick. They didn’t have an appointment.” 

“Let us in, Josh!” Josh heard Matt call from Margaret’s waiting area. Josh nodded his head to Margaret. She left the office and the two Congressmen came in. 

“Why are you tag-teaming me?” Josh greeted without preamble. “There’s plenty of alcohol in the East Room right now, there’s no need to raid my office.” 

“You’re going to need that alcohol.” Chris announced. 

“Why?” Josh asked hesitantly. “Which one of you got arrested? It was you, Matt, wasn’t it? Who am I reading about tomorrow?” Matt laughed at Josh’s immediate suspicion of the two of them. Yes, when any number of the three of them traveled together, it generally resulted in trouble for one of them. 

“We met someone today.” Chris began. 

“Matt’s got a new boyfriend?” Josh quipped. 

“Shut up.” Matt replied. “No, no, my friend. You still have one more Chanukah gift.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Josh demanded. “I’ve got to go to this mind numbing meet and greet for your new droids so you can all give me new reasons to vomit, go home and be in early tomorrow to do more important things, like, you know, run a country. If I’m lucky, something will explode tonight, and I won’t be in your company long.” 

“You don’t want to miss tonight.” Matt promised. 

“Did you guys get me a stripper?” Josh asked. “Because I think I could be on board for a stripper.” 

“Better.” Chris assured. 

“Okay. What the hell is going on?” Josh demanded. 

“What’s Dr. Freeride’s real name?” Matt asked. 

“Donna’s Dr. Freeride?” Josh replied, genuinely confused as to why they wanted to talk about Donna’s ex gomer of all ex gomers. “I think it’s Dr. Freeride. I’m not sure I actually know his real name, to tell you the truth.” 

“Might it be Brian Davis?” Matt hedged in a conspiratorial tone. 

“Yeah.” Josh said slowly. 

“It is!” Margaret called from her desk. 

“Stop eavesdropping!” Josh ordered. 

“Okay. So, tell me why I give a shit about Dr. Freeride.” 

“Because he just got elected to the Wisconsin 2nd.” Chris announced. 

“And he’s in this building right now.” Matt added. 

 

“Donnatella Moss. You are certainly a pleasant stroll down memory lane.” said a voice behind Donna. Donna froze when she heard that voice. A voice she thought she once knew as well as the sound of her beating heart. Donna slowly turned around and was faced with exactly her worst nightmare, Brian Davis, here in Washington. 

“Dr. Davis.” she greeted plastering her best fake smile on her face. 

“Congressman Davis.” he corrected. 

“Were you thrown out of the AMA?” Donna asked sweetly. 

“No,” Brian assured, “but I was recently elected to Congress back home.” 

“Your home.” Donna replied immediately. “My home’s here in Washington.” 

“And you’ve done very well for yourself.” Brian observed easily. “You look more beautiful today than the day you strolled out of my life ten years ago.” 

“Hobbled more like it.” Donna corrected. “I had a broken ankle that day; remember?” 

“How can I forget?” he responded. “It was the day you dumped me. But I didn’t come over here to rehash the memories on amnesia lane.” 

“Pithy.” Donna replied. She started scanning the room for Josh. She couldn’t see him anywhere. Please, oh, please, let him not miss this one thing. If ever she needed him to save her from talking to some one, this was it! Then again, how was she going to explain who she was talking to? 

“So, Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States.” Brian needlessly pointed out. “Very impressive.” 

“All without a college degree.” Donna said dryly. 

“Ouch.” replied Brian. “But you certainly made something of yourself, looks like you didn’t need it after all.” 

“Donnatella!” greeted a familiar voice. It was not Josh’s, but Chris Wick’s. Donna greeted Josh’s old friend with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. 

“Chris,” she said intending to introduce him, “this is --” 

“We met this morning.” Chris replied. “I ran the protocol meeting. Josh should be along. He got held up with affairs of the state. I came over to congratulate you on your engagement.” 

“Really, Donna, just how many members of Congress do you know?” Brian asked. 

“I was referring to Josh Lyman.” Chris supplied. 

“Ah, the President’s Chief of Staff.” Brian acknowledge. “You do hang out with an impressive crowd.” 

“Speak of the devil.” Chris greeted as Josh walked up. Donna noticed the peculiar grin on her fiance’s face. It was the grin he got when he realized he had the upper hand on someone. 

“The devil?” Josh greeted. “I haven’t been called that all week.” He planted a nice, soft, lingering kiss right on Donna’s lips, and she felt her knees start to give out, then he snaked an arm possessively around her waist and turned to the new Congressman. 

“Welcome to Washington, Congressman.” Josh greeted offering Brian his hand. This is a nightmare! Donna groaned inwardly. She is now in one of her worst nightmares! This can’t possibly be happening. 

“Mr. Lyman.” Brian said shaking his hand with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re something of an urban legend on the Hill. My colleagues refer to you as the Prince of Darkness.” 

“Prince?” Josh repeated looking over to Chris. “We’ve been friends all our lives and you neglect to tell me that I’ve been promoted from Lord of Darkness to Prince of Darkness?” Chris shrugged in response. 

“Congressman Davis.” said an even voice appearing at their side. Donna looked over to find Josh’s old college friend, FBI agent Mike Casper standing there, looking rather official. She stole a sidelong glance over at Josh, who didn’t appear at all surprised to see him there, but what she was surprised at was that they didn’t greet each other. “I’m Agent Casper with the FBI.” Mike greeted flashing his id to the freshman Congressman. “There seems to be a problem with your security clearance this evening, would you come with me, please?” 

Brian allowed himself to be lead away and turned a questioning brow to Josh. “Hmm...” Josh asked. “I wonder what the problem could be.” 

“What the hell is going on?” Donna asked him. 

“I’ll see you two later.” Chris said, taking his cue to leave. 

“What?” Josh tried to sound innocent and shocked at the accusation. Donna crossed her arms over his chest and glared at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Were you enjoying your reunion with what’s his name again? I’m sure it’s not actually Dr. Freeride.” 

“As a matter of fact, no. I was not enjoying myself in the slightest bit.” she admitted. “I was very happy when Chris came over to save me. What I’m further unhappy about is that you apparently knew he was going to be here and you let him blind side me.” 

“I didn’t.” Josh defended. “I found out about two minutes before I walked through the door. Chris and Matt came to my office to tell me about. You’d already left for the reception.” 

“So you just thought you’d have a little hazing fun?” Donna questioned. 

“Ten years and you’re going to deny me my fun?” Josh mocked. “Of course I’m going to have some *harmless* hazing fun.” Just then, Josh’s pager went off. “Oh shit,” he said looking down at it. “maybe something really did explode. I’ll call you when I can.” he kissed her again and whispered. “You stay far away from that asshole. I don’t him getting you all upset.” Donna smiled and watched as Josh walked away. She glanced around the room and left her post to go talk to Sam. 

 

Three hours later, Donna found herself sitting in Josh’s office with Margaret. Josh had stopped back up briefly after an hour to tell her to go home whenever she was ready and that he had no idea what time he’d be getting in. Instead, she decided to hang out with Margaret for a while. A black hawk helicopter had been shot down over Iran and a special forces crew had been sent in to get the crew back. Two hours after that, CNN was reporting that the pilot had been taken hostage. Donna was going to hang out as long as she could to wait for him and Margaret had grabbed them some wine from the reception and they sat on Josh’s couch, going through the bottle a lot faster than anticipated. 

 

Four freaking hours for nothing, Brian thought walking back into the White House. Four hours it took to get his clearance settled, only to discover that everything was clear. Now, according to that stupid protocol meeting this morning, he had to go back to the stupid reception because the President hadn’t shown up yet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Lyman had something to do with that FBI stuff. But that’s ridiculous, he thought. How much power could he actually have over the FBI? 

Obviously, he was in a relationship with Donna. That stung a bit. It was hard not to notice the way she looked at him. Brian couldn’t remember her ever looking at him quite that way, and he was well aware that she worshiped him. But that was ten years ago, and he’d come to realize, he never really paid attention to how she looked at him. Why he expected the same flighty woman to fall all over him ten years later was beyond him. He actually envisioned her pining all these years for him; him being the one that got away from her. It appeared that that was definitely not the case. And Wick had congratulated her on her engagement, another stinging discovery. 

He really didn’t know what she’d be like after all this time, but she definitely wasn’t the Donna he knew, that was for sure. This Donna didn’t seem near as naive as before with the school girl notions of getting married and playing house. This Donna had an extremely impressive career, a pretty damn powerful man, and moved about the White House and the big wigs of the government with ease and massive self-confidence. He had watched her for a while before finally going over to talk to her. Admittedly, after he saw her move through the crowd, he’d actually gotten a little intimidated by her. 

“Sneaking out for a smoke?” asked a familiar voice. Brian turned and saw Congressman Skinner walking through the lobby. 

“Not quite.” Brian replied. “Little glitch with the FBI clearance.” Matt nodded, but didn’t ask. He didn’t seem surprised to hear that. “I was getting ready to call it a night,” Brian supplied. “but I’m told the President hasn’t come yet.” 

“No.” Matt confirmed. “He’s tied up. Something with a black hawk getting shot down. Hey, why don’t I give you a tour?” 

“Of the White House?” Brian asked. 

“Of the West Wing.” Matt replied. 

“Sure.” Brian shrugged. Matt began to give him a tour of the hallways of the executive wing of the mansion. Brian tried to come off as nonchalant, but the truth was, he was fascinated, and Matt appeared to know an awful lot about the building. 

They were just coming up on what Matt was calling the communications bullpen, when the sound of a woman’s voice slowed them up. Rounding the corner, they could see that the bullpen was completely empty and most of the lights were off. Josh and Donna were at a desk in the back corner. Josh was leaning against a desk, with his hands in his pockets and his dead down, Donna was standing closely next to him running her hand continuously down his cheek. 

“It’s not your fault,” she was saying to him. “The President made the decision.” 

“Yeah, but I told him to do it.” Josh replied quietly, “and now they’re not coming back. Now, he’s got to call six families tonight.” 

“Don’t beat yourself up, Bear.” Donna consoled kissing his temple and pulling his head to her, of which he was a willing recipient. “The President’s got plenty of military experience. He knows what’s going on. Plus, you have General Kallan in there, and Dr. McNally, both of whom have some experience at this stuff.” 

“I guess.” said Josh still sounding dejected. “Let’s just get out of here.” 

Matt nudged Brian’s elbow and nodded towards the entrance they came in. They went back the other way, quiet for a few paces. 

“Tough night.” Brian noted. 

“He’ll bounce back.” Matt assured. He stopped and turned toward the freshman Congressman, forcing Brian to stop and turn towards him. “Listen,” Matt began. “I know that you got a little hazing tonight from my friends, and quite frankly, I can’t say that this is the end of it, but Josh tends to get a little crazy when it comes to Donna. Someday, I’m sure someone will explain the whole thing to you, frankly, I’m way too tired to do it tonight. But, I’ll give you some free advice, which is something you’re not going to hear from me too often. What you saw back there, that’s unconditional love, man. If someone looked at me like she looks at him, I’d follow them right to hell. There’s nothing that guy can’t do that she won’t forgive. He’s got to do some sketchy and underhanded things some times in his job, and she loves him anyway. I just thought you should know that.” 

 

Josh sat up in bed that night with the lights off watching CNN, Donna was curled up on his chest and lap, attempting to doze, but he was pretty quiet and she was getting a little worried about him. 

“Bear?” she asked not looking up. “Hmm?” he answered. 

“You know I don’t think you’re the Prince of Darkness; right?” 

“What?” Josh laughed in response. 

“Tonight.” Donna explained, sitting up and turning to him. “When Brian said they call you the Prince of Darkness on the Hill. You know that I never thought that; don’t you? I mean, a lot of people don’t think that. Well, a lot do, but a lot don’t.” 

“Baby, I don’t care that they call me that.” Josh assured quietly. “I mean, I really don’t. Quite frankly, I kind of see it as a compliment, and it really makes my job a lot easier sometimes. It certainly paved the way for Sam. Seriously, don’t let stuff like that upset you.” 

“It does though.” she confessed. “I just think that if they knew the real you –-“ 

“I don’t want them to know the real me, babe.” Josh said. “If they did, I’d get nothing done. I got friends on the Hill, on both sides of the aisle. You didn’t see how Chris and Matt rose to the occasion tonight? And they came to me tonight.” 

“Thanks for not calling him Dr. Freeride to his face.” Donna said. “That would have been slightly mortifying.” 

“I will never say anything bad to him to his face.” Josh promised. “I don’t want him to ever think that you gave him a second thought when you drove to New Hampshire. He’ll never get that satisfaction from me, that’s for sure.” 

“I didn’t the second time.” 

“Didn’t what?” 

“Give him a second thought.” Donna said. “When I came back, when I left him. I got in the car and drove back to New Hampshire and didn’t give him a second thought. I just thought about what I was coming back to.” 

“I’m sure glad you did.” he said softly. “But I swear to God, if he hits on you, I’ll have Matt hit on him.” Donna laughed, kissed him and settled herself back down against him. 

 

A week went by and Donna hadn’t heard from Brian, much to her relief. But, as it turned out, it was a short-lived relief. Friday afternoon brought Brian to her office without an appointment asking to see her. Donna sighed as she allowed her assistant to let him into the office. 

“Wow!” he exclaimed. “This is some office.” 

“Whatever.” Donna replied. “What do you want, Brian?” 

“I came because I wanted to start over again, Donna.” Brian began. “I want to be your friend. I was a big jackass that night ten years ago, and I was hoping that we could wipe the slate clean and start over and be friends. I had lunch today with Andrea Wyatt, she speaks very highly of you.” 

“Well, she’s a good friend.” Donna agreed. 

“She filled me in a bit on you. You’ve had quite a ten years it seems. Of course, I knew about Gaza.” 

“Yes, well, it did make CNN.” Donna said flatly. 

“Donna --” 

“No Brian.” Donna said firmly. “I’m not interested in being your friend. It hurts me kind of to say it, but I’m not the same person you knew. I have confidence in myself and the things I can do. I have a job that I’m happy in, I have a relationship that I’m happy in and I’m not interested in constantly being reminded of the weak and clingy person I was once. Maybe you’ve changed, and it’s commendable if you did; maybe you’re looking for a congressional squaw; but I definitely changed and we won’t get along anymore.” 

“Donna?” came a male’s voice behind her. Donna jumped up to see the President entering from his wife’s office. “Mr. President!” Donna stumbled. “I’m sorry. I had no idea you were in there. Did we disturb you?” 

“No, no,” Santos waived. “I was just looking for my wife. Is everything all right?” 

“Of course, sir.” Donna assured. “Er, this is Congressman Davis.” 

“Wisconsin 2nd.” the President noted walking towards the freshman Congressman. Brian met him half way and shook his hand. 

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” 

“Welcome to Washington.” 

“Donna?” buzzed her assistant. “Mr. Lyman is here.” 

“Ask him to come in, please.” Donna said, secretly rejoicing in her fiance’s timing, for once. 

Josh entered the room and immediately stopped when he saw it’s three occupants. “Sir.” Josh greeted the President. 

“Hi Josh!” Matt greeted clearly now relishing the current situation. Donna realized, with slight mortification, that he had overheard the entire conversation. “Josh, Donna, today’s Friday.” Josh and Donna looked at him as he paused and waited for a response. 

“Yes, sir.” Josh said confused. 

Santos let out a sigh. “Meaning, it’s movie night.” 

“Oh!” they said catching on. 

“Actually, sir, it’s been a long week.” Josh began. 

“That it has.” Matt agreed. 

“Would you mind if Donna and I took a rain check?” 

“Nah.” Santos said waiving them off. “Congressman Davis, why don’t you come with me. Have you ever seen the Oval Office?” 

“Uh, no, sir. I haven’t.” Santos lead Brian out of the room and left Josh and Donna standing there alone looking at each other. 

“Lunch date?” Josh asked. 

“No.” Donna immediately supplied. “He came here asking if it was possible to be friends, I told him no.” 

“Wow.” Josh said. “That had to have hurt.” 

“Maybe.” Donna said a little quieter. “But I’m not interested in being reminded of the past and mistakes I made. Besides, I believe I was ordered to keep away from that asshole.” 

TBC


	9. Liberty Belle

It was Sunday again. Josh and Donna, with Josh’s detail, were slowly weaving their way through the aisles of the supermarket. Josh leaning on the cart and pushing it along, as Donna pulled items from the shelves and put them in the cart. 

“So, Harvard called again.” Josh began. 

“Harvard who?” Donna asked pulling something off the shelf and dropping it in the cart, scratching the item off her list. 

“Harvard University, you may have heard of it.” Josh quipped. 

“Only about 1,000 times from you.” Donna retorted. “Why is Harvard calling you?” 

“The job.” 

Donna stopped and looked at him. “Still?” 

“Always.” Harvard had left Josh with a standing offer to join their school of government and be it’s head professor. “Only this time, the salary has gone up. The guy in the job is actually leaving.” 

“Really?” Donna asked a bit impressed. “It was a pretty big salary offer before.” 

“Well, now it’s close to a million dollars.” Josh supplied. He waited a second for her to process that. When she did, she turned slowly towards him. 

“Harvard University, the most prestigious and well-respected university in the country, wants to pay you a million dollars a year to teach the young minds of America, turn them into little Lymanites and set them loose on Washington? They think this is a good idea?” She was poking fun at him, but the truth was, she was incredibly impressed with it at the moment. 

“John F. Kennedy School of Government. I would get to make more democrats for the world.” Josh said. “But I have to teach them about government first, then I can make them all see that my point of view is right. You’d have to admit, I’d have some pretty impressive guest speakers.” 

“You’re really thinking about this?” Donna asked as they began to slowly move along the aisle they were in. “Like seriously thinking about leaving Washington?” Josh shrugged in response. “Do you realize that every time the President sends the military somewhere and someone actually dies, is the only time you think about taking this job?” 

“Now I’ve started thinking about it after dealing with Congress, too.” Josh admitted. 

“So, we’re really talking about this?” Donna asked. 

“What do you think?” Josh asked. “I mean, what do you think about moving to Boston? I’ll be making almost a million dollars a year, you could not work and raise babies, or be a cashier at Tower Records, if you want, or join the New England DNC, or one of the billion campaigns up there, finish your degree, or raise babies.” 

“You said raise babies twice.” Donna noted. “What are you trying to tell me?” 

“I don’t know.” Josh said. 

“Okay. So, let me put it this way then. Do you still want to work at the White House, Josh?” 

Josh was quiet for a second. He sighed and said, “No.” 

“Well, we can’t just give two weeks notice here.” Donna reminded. “We’ll find a weekend to go up to Boston, talk to the guy, look at places to live, and see. You can’t start in the middle of a semester anyway.” 

“You’d leave Washington for me?” Josh asked, encouraged by her response. 

“Josh, I love my job and my career, but I don’t love it as much as you.” Donna laughed. “ I want you to be happy. If you’re not happy down here, then we’ll leave. 

“I could just as easily do this from Georgetown, if you don’t want to leave the White House. I don’t want you to give your career up for me, if you’re going to regret it.” Josh supplied. 

“What do you mean you could just as easily do this from Georgetown?” Donna asked turning to him again. “Just how many offers have you had?” 

“Well, only two are standing, but I get offers all the time.” Josh answered. “I’ve had offers from Harvard, Georgetown, Yale, Berkeley, Princeton, Columbia --” Donna’s jaw dropped as he listed off the various prestigous universities. She knew that he was in demand in the private sector. She never doubted that when the time came to leave the White House, he’d move right into something else, but she didn’t know he’d had so many teaching offers. 

“All for this kind of salary?” 

“Oh, no.” he continued. “Princeton was higher and Georgetown and Columbia are less. But, I like Harvard the most. And there’s an added benefit to Harvard.” 

Donna heard the tone of voice change. This was where the perk for her came in, she knew. He would never consider asking her to do this if there wasn’t some large bribe in there for her that he could negotiate. If he was going to ask her to quit her job and move to a new city, he was going to be sure it would be well worth her while. 

“Which is?” 

“You get to finish your degree for free.” he replied. 

“At Harvard?” she asked incredulously. “Are you kidding me?” 

“Donna, you weren’t exactly a slacker at UW, you did make the Dean’s list.” Josh said laughing, but he couldn’t resist making his next comment. “You will have to pick a major though!” She slapped him on the arm and he knew that she liked that idea. “So, you’re on board?” 

“I just shudder for the minds of young America.” 

 

About two months later, Josh and Donna arranged their schedules to take a long weekend away. Donna convinced Josh that they’d go up to Manchester for a couple of days to talk with the Bartlets about all the wedding plans and then head to Boston to meet with the Dean of the University and the Dean of the School of Government. While Josh was doing that, Donna would poke around Boston looking at neighborhoods near the campus and schools and spend time getting her bearings there. Unlike Josh, she’d never really spent any time in Boston. 

Since they decided to visit, he’d told her a lot more about it, neighborhoods he wanted her to look at, how to get there, bars they were going to visit. She couldn’t help but note how excited he had gotten talking about it. In the ten years they’d known each other, she had literally heard about how he went to Harvard 1,000 times, but she’d never heard him talk about his time there, the things he did, the places he went, where he went. All she knew was he studied a lot, and Amy had a lot of sex with Chris Wick (something Donna now found incredibly funny). 

So, one early Wednesday morning, they boarded the secret services’ plane and headed for Manchester with Bell in tow. When they pulled up to the house, Jed and Abbey were outside, Jed was throwing a ball for Liberty to chase. Josh and Donna smiled at each other. The former First Couple had obviously taken a liking to the dog. 

Bell bounded out of the car and immediately peed. She then ran off with Liberty to run around the large field. Donna had worked hard on the majority of their Saturday afternoons and Sundays training Bell, so they were unconcerned that she might stray far, obviously an equal amount of time had been spent with Liberty, for while both dogs were running around like crazy and burning off a lot of energy, neither strayed too far from their masters. 

“Liberty Bell, together again.” Jed commented. 

“He’s well trained, sir.” Josh noted. Jed glanced at Josh and Abbey laughed. “I’ll admit, Joshua, we were rather surprised and rattled when he arrived, but he’s been great for Jed. Jed spends hours a day outside exercising him, walking him, training him. I can’t tell you the amount of books he’s read about training him.” 

“Two.” Jed supplied. “It was two books, Abigail.” 

“Well, as a doctor, I have to say I’m happy the dog is here.” Abbey admitted. “Though I do have a cleaning bill for you for that rug.” They went inside and Abbey brought them up to the guest room she set up for them. Abbey and Donna settled down in the kitchen with tea to talk about wedding details as Josh and Jed headed back outside with beer to watch the dogs run. 

“Donna says you’re headed to Boston next?” Jed asked. 

“Yes, sir. I’m meeting with the deans at Harvard to talk about a teaching position in the school of government there.” Josh answered candidly. 

“Am I supposed to try to talk you out of it?” Jed asked. Josh looked down at the ground, kicking at the dirt. “Joshua?” 

“My heart’s not in it anymore.” he said quietly. “I know we’re doing a lot of good, and Matt Santos is a good man. But...” he couldn’t seem to put into words what he was trying to say. 

“You’ve been there a long time, Josh.” Jed acknowledged. “You’ve done a lot of good things there, even before you came to work for me. Being in the room isn’t easy.” 

“It’s not the hard.” Josh said. “I know I have to separate myself and see the bigger picture with every decision I make, and he makes. But, I think I’m just ready for that chapter to close and start a new one. Am I crazy to take a teaching position, sir?” 

Jed realized that Josh was looking for some kind of fatherly advice, a confirmation of some kind. It was a question he would have asked Leo in the absence of his own father. Leo had told Jed that Josh came to him when he was thinking of leaving to run Santos’s campaign. Jed had three daughters. Sure, he had his two sons-in-law, but Jed couldn’t really relate to them. Leo always said Josh was special. It was his reason for originally bringing him board in the first place. Even when Josh screwed up and pissed Jed and Leo off, Jed still knew that Josh was destined for more, for good things. After all he’d been through, Josh deserved to be happy. 

“You’re crazy for many reasons, Josh.” Jed joked. “But Harvard will be lucky to have you. How long have they been chasing you?” 

“A few years.” Josh confessed. 

“Do they have a specific subject they want you to teach?” Jed said. “I mean, you can pretty much go in there and expertly teach about anything.” 

Josh smiled at the compliment. “Well, that’s just it. They have a specific thing in mind. They want to start with a series of three hour classes. What I’d do is just stand up there and talk about everything. It’s more of a life experiences class. Plus, they know that I’d bring in some pretty bitchin guest speakers.” 

“I trust I’d be the first bitchin guest speaker in there.” 

“In exchange for your glowing recommendation, of course.” Josh bartered. 

Jed laughed at his candor. “Well, son, you’ve literally taken a bullet for me, and have fallen on the proverbial sword for me countless times. The least I can do is tell them to get their stuffy heads out of their asses. But it does sound like they’ve made a decision. Just promise me you’ll talk about one thing in particular.” 

“What’s that, sir?” 

“The Antiquities Act.” Jed answered. “I know it was a small thing, but it’s definitely one of my favorite of your shining hours.” 

“Another moment brought to the Oval Office by one Donnatella.” Josh confessed. 

 

“What do they talk about out there, I wonder.” Abbey said looking at the window at Jed and Josh’s backs. 

“We could bug Coop and send him over there.” Donna suggested. 

“CJ always said you had a criminal mind equal to her own.” Abbey laughed. 

“Well, I’m proud of my talents, ma’am.” Donna replied. 

“No more ma’am crap, Donnatella.” Abbey ordered. “I refuse to be ma’am-ed anymore.” 

“Yes, m –- Abbey.” Donna practically choked. Abbey smiled appreciatively. 

“You know, Donna,” Abbey began “all those years we were in the White House and on the first campaign, why do you think that you and Josh never saw what the rest of us did? What took you two so long?” 

“Fear, I think.” Donna answered candidly. 

“The boss assistant thing?” 

“No. I think that’s just what we hid behind. I think it was fear that if we finally gave in to our feelings for each other, we’d probably get lost in each other and forget who we were individually. Maybe it was fear that if it went horribly wrong, we’d lose each other forever and that was an unbearable thought. I think that we had both obsessed over what a romantic relationship would be like for so long, that maybe we were afraid we’d be disappointed. There were many confessions along the way. It didn’t take us long to figure it out, it just took us a while to have some faith in it. I know that everyone had their suspicions about us, and thought we were having some sordid affair. We weren’t.” 

“So what made you finally come around?” Abbey asked. 

“Well, it was the night before Election Day,” Donna explained. “And I just looked over at him and said to myself, this is it. It’s time.” 

“You’re certainly devoted to each other, any jackass can see that.” Donna smiled at her comment. She loved how Abbey, this educated woman, a world class physician so easily worked the word jackass into nearly every conversation. “They’re still out there.” 

“Josh is probably telling the President about the position at Harvard he wants to take.” Donna supplied. 

“Finally!” Abbey exclaimed. “Our little Joshua is growing up! He’s finding the important things.” Abbey walked out onto the porch and shouted “Joshua! Don’t be a jackass! Take the job!” as Donna spit her tea all over herself. 

 

They had a full day in Boston before Josh’s meeting, so they spent the day walking around the city. Josh showed Donna all the spots he hung out in college, his favorite coffee shops, favorite bars, favorite book stores. The more Josh showed her, the more Donna liked it. She loved the history of the city, the brownstones, the stores, the excitement. She realized that it was a lot like D.C., minus all the politicians and secret service (other than the two that were with them) and military. 

He brought her over the campus and showed her around. “This is beautiful.” She gasped. 

“Wait till you see it in fall, babe.” Josh responded. “It’s ten times better.” He showed her all the different academic buildings, the dorms, when they got over by the library, Josh got recognized. 

“Holy shit!” called out a young male voice. Josh and Donna glanced at each other as the two secret service agents drew in closer to Josh. “You’re Josh Lyman!” A young dark haired guy, who they pegged to be in his early 20s came running down the library steps toward them. Other students around stopped and looked. Donna noticed that some turned around and watched, while others kept going. She guessed the ones looking were either law students or government students. 

“I am.” Josh confessed shaking his hand. “Be ye friend or foe?” 

“Oh my God.” he said again. “My name is Jeremy. I’m starting graduate school at JFK in the fall. I’m doing my thesis on the Santos campaign.” Donna and Josh gaped at him. Josh recovered a lot faster than Donna did. 

“You’re doing a complete thesis on that campaign?” he asked incredulously. 

“Oh my God, you’re brilliant.” Jeremy said again. “I have so much to ask you.” he put his hands up to his head and stood staring incredulously at Josh. Donna recognized the kid’s look as his brain about to go on overload. “I mean, you’re the reason I came to Harvard.” Now, this was getting weird, Donna thought. She was glad they had two armed secret service agents standing close, who, she bemused, looked incredibly entertained at the entire scenario unfolding before them. 

“Well, I got a couple minutes.” Josh told him. “What do you want to know?” 

“Really?” asked a short, dark haired girl with glasses interrupting the conversation. 

“Don’t tell me you’re doing a thesis on that campaign, too.” Josh responded. 

“No.” she said. “But I am a government student.” 

“Oh,” Josh said unsure how to handle the whole situation. He looked questioningly at Donna who smiled, backed up to the agents and gestured ahead of them. “Okay. Well, like I said, I’ve got some time.” 

He walked over and sat down on the library steps. Jeremy and the girl sat down close to him and began to pepper him with questions. Slowly, more students made their way over as they heard the conversation, some pulled out their cell phones to call friends. Soon, there was about 30 people flanked around Josh on the steps of the library. Donna suspected some were teachers, as well. She stood back and watched Josh’s mini lesson, pulling back and taking pictures with the camera she brought along for her tour of the city, realizing that he had finally found his calling. 

TBC


	10. Liberty Belle

Donna and Josh flew back to Manchester to pick up Bell and tell the Bartlets about their trip to Harvard. Harvard had offered Josh an incredibly generous sign on bonus to be there in time for the fall semester, which immediately sent Donna into a panic about giving notice to the White House, finding a house, packing their apartment, relocating to Boston, getting settled in... 

“Brilliant?” asked Jed. “He called you brilliant, eh?” 

“They were hanging on my every word, sir.” Josh related excitedly. He reminded Donna of a kid bragging about his game winning home run. “I was sitting on those steps for four hours!” 

“You gave that kid your cell phone number; didn’t you?” Abbey predicted. 

“I had to!” confessed Josh. “He’s doing a thesis on *my* campaign! I gotta give him access. I gotta help the kid get an A.” 

“His thesis isn’t due for another two years.” Donna reminded him, patting his arm and rolling her eyes. 

“How did you leave it with the dean?” Abbey asked looking over at Donna, trying to ascertain her thoughts on all this. 

“They asked me to be there for August 1st.” Josh explained. “That gives us three and a half months. That’ll give the President enough time to get adjusted to Sam, and Donna to find a replacement for the First Lady.” 

“Sam, eh?” Jed nodded approvingly. “What do you think he’ll say?” 

“If he wants his future to go where we all know it’s going, he’ll have to say yes.” Josh said. 

“He’s ready.” Jed nodded. 

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sam cried. Donna and Josh had Sam and Jenny over for dinner and drinks on a Saturday night to break the news to Sam. Josh wanted to do it out of the office, in case Sam yelled and cursed at him, just like he was doing then. 

“You flew out to California to get me!” Sam reminded. 

“The President thinks you can do it, too.” Josh said looking up at his best friend, who was now wearing a path in their carpet. Sam stopped in his tracks and looked at Josh. 

“You’ve already talked to the President about this?” Sam asked. Oh my, God. This was real. Josh was really leaving. 

“Mmm-hmm.” Josh nodded. “And I have a message from President Bartlet, too.” Sam continued to look at him. “He said, it’s time, don’t be scared, this is what we talked about. I take it that’s got some meaning to you?” 

Sam sat down on the couch and didn’t meet any of their gazes. “Yes. When Taiwan announced it was going to hold it’s first free elections. We talked about it that night over chess. Who’s going to be my deputy?” 

“You’ll pick your own deputy.” Josh said, relieved that the worst had passed and Sam was keen on the idea of his new role in the administration. “You might want to think about promoting from within though. It’ll definitely keep the hazing down.” 

“You guys are really going to move to Boston?” Sam asked. Josh smiled and Donna nodded. “But, Josh, you’re just so much a part of this town. I mean, you’re like one of the monuments at this point.” 

Josh knew that Sam meant that as a compliment, so he tried to keep humor in his voice when he replied. “Exactly, Sam. I need to get out of here. I don’t want to fight anymore. I’ve got no fight left. I just want to do good in other ways, and plague you with my interns.” Sam smiled and nodded once. 

“Not Princeton?” Sam mocked. 

“My allegiance runs deep.” Josh replied. 

 

Donna on the other hand wasn’t having it so easy locating a replacement. A month had gone by since she spoke to the First Lady, who cried at the announcement and said that as the First Lady, she’d never speak to her again, but as friend, she wanted to hear from Donna multiple times a week, and Donna still hadn’t found anyone to replace herself. She wanted to give Helen time to adjust to her new Chief of Staff while Donna was still around. 

Donna was on line in her office one morning researching houses to look at on their next trip to Boston when Amy Gardner sauntered into her office. Donna looked at her and arched a brow. First of all, Amy had never been to Donna’s office while Donna held this job, so she was instantly suspicious of the woman’s motives. Secondly, Amy hadn’t spoken to Donna since the day Donna overheard Josh screaming at her. 

“Sorry to barge in.” Amy said by way of greeting. “Looks like your assistant is on a break. Got a minute?” 

“Sure.” Donna said motioning to a chair. 

“Listen,” Amy said. “I know you and I don’t see eye to eye on pretty much anything.” Oh, this was a great beginning, Donna thought. “But I wanted to talk to you about something. I was at a private dinner party the other night and the host introduced me to Brian Davis.” What the hell? Thought Donna. “Anyway, he asked me to dinner, and I went. Obviously, from my presence here, over the course of dinner it came out that he and I knew you and Josh. Anyway, we’re going on a second date. The reason why I’m here is because I just wanted to let you know that I’m going out with him because I actually like him. It’s not out of spite or anything like that.” 

Donna looked at her for a moment. This was an incredibly strange gesture on Amy’s part. Why did Donna care who Amy went out with? Why did Amy care what Donna thought of who she went out with? A thought suddenly struck Donna and she couldn’t believe she was about to do this. 

“Amy, I have to confess something.” Donna began. “A few months ago, I overheard yours and Josh’s argument. I didn’t mean to, but it happened to be when I got to the door with lunch. Anyway, I kind of get the feeling that you’re not happy in your job.” 

“Well, I can’t say that working with Josh is easy, and I also can’t say that I’m really on board with the agenda over there.” 

“My point exactly. I don’t know what’s going around the gossip circle yet, but Josh and I are leaving.” Amy’s brows shot up. “He’s been offered a teaching position at Harvard, and he’s taking it.” 

“That’s perfect for him.” Amy interjected, stopping Donna in her tracks. Sometimes she was painfully reminded that in some ways, Amy did know Josh well, and in others, she had not a clue. 

“Well, we’re moving to Boston the end of July. What do you think about taking over for me?” Amy looked at her for a minute. She seemed to be mulling it over. “Helen Santos is vastly different than Abbey Bartlet. She’s still new to all this, she has no idea how to navigate the political waters. She needs somebody aggressive, and I know there’s stuff here that she’s doing that you believe in.” 

“Well, there’s a lot here that I believe in.” Amy said. “That was the whole point of the fight.” 

“You can help her become an even stronger First Lady than she is now. She’s her own woman, but she’ll respect you. You’re smart, you’re a player in the party, and you really don’t seem like you’re happy in the men’s club down the hall. Helen’s incredibly conscious of women’s issues.” 

“I’ll think about it.” Amy said, as Donna nodded in response. “Why don’t you set up lunch for me and the First Lady, we can feel each other out.” 

“Done.” Donna agreed. “Have your assistant call her assistant. Pick someplace nice. She’ll want to get out of this building.” 

 

“Amy and Dr. Freeride?” Josh gaped. “Are you kidding me?” 

“Apparently.” Donna said, putting their lunch down on his desk. 

“Don’t say anything for a minute.” Josh commanded. “I’m trying to work this visual out of my head.” 

Donna laughed at his discomfort. “I can’t decide if they’re a match made in heaven or a match made in hell.” 

“Well, they do deserve each other.” Josh stated. “But I might be a little disturbed by the pillow talk.” 

“Aw, bear!” Donna protested scrunching up her nose in disgust. “Now, I’m stuck with the visual!” 

“So, you’re hiring Amy to replace you?” Josh asked. “Isn’t that some odd twist of something?” 

“Well, she’s meeting with Helen tomorrow.” Donna said. “The last thing I want to do is help Amy, but I do think she’d be valuable to Helen. And she does know that job.” 

“That she does.” Josh said quietly. “Are you going to miss it?” 

Donna paused for a second contemplating that question while taking a sip of her water. “I don’t know.” She said honestly. “But what I did realize was that the only thing here I really had was you and my job. So, what difference does it make? I’m looking forward to not having to work weekends and having mostly normal working hours.” It was lost on Josh that she was actually referring to him there. “I like the thought of getting a degree in something.” 

“Any thoughts on that?” he asked. 

“Maybe English literature.” She said. “I’m pretty good at that, or public relations.” Josh was surprised to hear that. He assumed that she would look at political science or something like that, not something completely unrelated to her career. “You look surprised.” she noted. 

“I guess I am.” he confessed. 

“Okay, then. You tell me, what’s any school going to teach me about government?” He thought about that for a minute. “I got nothing.” 

“Exactly. Besides, I’m not 100 percent sure I want to do it anymore either. Well, I’m not sure exactly what I want to do at the moment.” 

“Buy a house, get married, shop for that house, take some time off to be a bum and start spring semester. You’ve got tons of time then.” Josh said. 

“Time off?” Donna asked. “Did you just say take some time off? Off of work?” 

Josh laughed at her snarking. “I thought we were turning over a new leaf here.” he said. “Ending one chapter and starting the next, and a bunch of other nostalgic life stuff.” 

“Nostalgic life stuff?” Donna smiled. “760 verbal and that’s the best you got?” 

“Yeah, well, I’ve discovered other uses for my 760 verbal.” Josh retorted wiggling his eyebrows at her. 

TBC


	11. Liberty Belle

As their days in the White House were coming to an end, Josh seemed to relax more and more, while Donna became more and more frantic. Amy had decided to take her up on her offer and she’d begun meeting with the First Lady. However, between the packing, the wedding planning, the thought of leaving her home city for the past ten years, the mortgage company and realtors, she was convinced she was slowly losing her mind. 

They were buying a beautiful old brownstone not too far from the campus. Donna was in charge of the redecorating and minor renovations that were going to be made. She’d decided to gut the upstairs bathroom and kitchen. So, on top of everything else she had going on, she was determined to make their new home perfect. 

As Sam took on more and more responsibility, Josh began leaving the office earlier and earlier. He’d enlisted CJ’s help preparing Sam as well, and they’d spent many hours on the phone with CJ in California. When they’d get home at night, they’d pack for a while before collapsing on the couch to marvel at all the junk they’d acquired between themselves and managed to stuff into their apartment. 

On their second to last night in Washington, the President and First Lady had thrown them an impressive going away part y in the residence. They’d spent the evening laughing and reminiscing of the high times and low times. Donna laughed as Sam and Josh tried to squirm their way out of the story of how they started a fire in the White House and President Bartlet was stuck standing out on the Truman Balcony in January in the middle of the night. 

As they sat around their empty apartment on their last night in Washington, Josh was struck with an idea. “Let’s get out of here.” He said standing up. He no longer wanted to sit around the empty apartment, wondering for the hundredth time if they were making the right decision. 

“And go where?” she asked. It was late at night and they were leaving very early in the morning. 

“Let’s go be tourists tonight.” he announced. 

“What?” 

“The monuments at night.” Josh said. “Have you ever actually gone to appreciate them at night? I haven’t. I’ve only ever given them a passing glance as I’ve driven by them. I want to do it before we go.” He whistled for Bell, who came bounding over when she’d seen him pick up her leash. Donna smiled and stood up. She linked her hand with his and together with Bell, they left the apartment. 

It’s was a hot night at the end of July. The lack of sun did little to cool the night off, but they didn’t care. They wandered slowly along their self-guided tour of the monuments. Donna had her arms wrapped around Josh, and he had his free arm wrapped around her shoulders with Bell in the other. Eventually, they came upon the White House. They stood outside the gate with the other tourists and admired the beauty of the building. For the first time since he could remember, Josh looked at the building without wondering what was happening inside. 

“It really is a magical place.” Donna said softly. 

“Yeah.” he agreed quietly. 

“You know what I’m going to miss the most?” Donna replied. “Raiding the mess for apples and peanut butter at night.” 

“Chinese in the Roosevelt Room.” Josh smiled. 

“The way the heat always breaks on the coldest night of the year.” 

“You walking towards me in an evening gown.” 

“CJ doing the jackal in the mural room.” 

“The gingerbread White House the pastry chef made every year at Christmas.” Josh laughed. 

“And trying to figure out who took a swipe at the icing with their finger every year!” Donna added. 

“Your insane filing system!” 

“I still use that, you know.” Donna said pretending to be offended. 

“I know. I’ll be damned if I can find the Visa bill.” Josh muttered. “What do you think will be the first thing that makes us go back there?” 

“Well, you cut Sam loose in there, so who knows!” Donna laughed. 

They fell silent, each lost in their memories. Then without another word, Josh turned them away and they continued down Pennsylvania Avenue. 

 

Josh and Donna peeked through the crack in the door watching Josh’s first class file into the lecture hall. They were in the connecting office to the hall. 

“Geez, bear, how many kids are in this class?” she asked as she watched the room fill up. 

“This one? Like 75. All four classes filled up. There’s a waiting list.” 

“What are you going to say?” she asked. 

“I have no idea.” He confessed. “But, I’m supposed to get up there and, you know, talk about myself, so how hard can it be?” 

“Talk about yourself professionally, Joshua.” Donna reminded. “And, you know, talk about actual stuff you worked on and stuff.” 

“I actually do know what they want me to talk about.” Josh replied. “You never told me when you’re coming in to speak.” 

“You were serious about that?” she asked. 

“Of course. You’re the reason I’m standing here today, personally and professionally. Without you, I wouldn’t have done half of what I did.” he reminded. She smiled at him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 

“I’ll think about it.” she said. Josh rolled his eyes and they looked back out to the room. Donna recognized the kid from their visit a few months earlier in the front row. 

“Well, this is, professor.” Donna said as she noticed the class seemed assembled and were now whispering animatedly amongst themselves and looking around the room. “Do good out there.” She gave him a little push out into the room and then closed the door a bit. She planned on peeking through the door crack for a while, so she pulled up a chair and settled in. 

The class immediately quieted down as they watched Josh cross to the center of the room and sit on top of the desk facing them, a small applause breaking out as he walked. 

“Feel free to do that whenever I enter a room.” Josh quipped when they quieted down. 

The students could see that Josh was definitely not going to be their typical professor. First of all, despite the unofficial dress code of the other professors on campus, Josh was dressed in jeans and a Mets t-shirt. He carried no form of notes to rely on, a lap top, anything that would show he prepared for the class in any way other than in his mind. 

“So, first things first.” Josh began. “I know you all got that thing they sent out with my curriculum vitae in it, and given the overwhelming response to this class, I’m sure you’ve all read it. So, I’m not going to start with talking about all that stuff. Over the course of the semester, it’ll come out anyway. Second, despite my many protests to the school administration, they’re insisting that you not call me Josh. They say I should be addressed as professor. So, you’ll have to forgive me while I get used to answering to that, as it’s going to take me some time to stop looking for the old guy in a sweater vest shuffling along campus with a pipe.” Donna noted from her perch that that one earned some laughs. “Oh, that guy’s still here?” Josh quipped. 

“This class is pretty easy to pass.” Josh continued. “You show up, and you listen to me or whoever’s here speaking here that day. You’ll be assigned a position paper to be turned in at the end of the semester on an issue that I’ll assign you. Three ways to fail the class, don’t show up, fall asleep during the class, or hit on my fiancé. Over the course of the semester, you’ll meet presidents, senators, congressman, some of them will even be republican, press secretaries, political operatives, secret service agents, cabinet members, journalists, White House counsel, senior staff assistants, congressional aides, campaign strategists, anyone and everyone who was remotely instrumental to what I did, right down to the guy that delivered the Chinese food at 11 o’clock at night.” 

“I’ll teach you the ins and outs of Washington, back room dealings, wheeling and dealing on getting a bill past from the White House’s point of view and congress’s, what goes into the State of the Union speech, what goes into getting a judge appointed to the Supreme Court, or three in my case, surviving the crappy food and lack of funding on the campaign trail, and how to get the staff of Air Force One to bring you more of those little M&Ms with the presidential seal on them after you’ve already ate all yours, and how you know when you’ve found your guy.” 

“I’ll teach you about protocol, when it’s actually appropriate to get in the president’s face, how to read the signs, what not to do in a press briefing. You’re looking at the guy that’s been there and done that. As President Bartlet once told me, I’ve taken a bullet and fallen repeatedly on the proverbial sword, and now it’s all at your disposal. And speaking of President Bartlet, he insisted on being the first guest speaker, and well, nobody tells him no. So, he’ll be here next Wednesday evening. Those of you that have 8 a.m. Thursday classes, well, it’ll be a painful morning for you because President Bartlet can go on and on, and I imagine will.” 

Donna continued to watch from her crack in the door. Like the kids in the room, she was mesmerized by the man before her. Listening to Josh speak this way reinforced for her just how much he’s accomplished in his career, and just how much she was involved in. She thought of all the things he was talking about, and all the successes and failures they had working as a team in the White House. She thought about all the people she wished could see him now, his father, his sister, but mostly Leo. Her attention was brought back to him when he started talking about how he came to join the Bartlet campaign. Slowly, she stood up from her chair and crossed to the office door and out to the hallway with Josh’s voice and the laughter of the class slowly fading behind her. She couldn’t wait for him to get home later and hear about his day and laughed to herself as she pictured him bouncing around the kitchen while he told her about it. It was time for her to head back to their house and her projects that awaited her there. She opened the door, and walked out into the sunny day that awaited her. 

TBC


	12. Liberty Belle

It was very early in the morning. Donna stood on the front porch of the Bartlets’ farm house and surveyed the activity going on around her, sipping her hot coffee. To the untrained eye, it looked like chaos, but to anyone paying close attention, it was Abbey Bartlet’s and Joanna Moss’s meticulous planning coming into fruition. Donna had never seen the Bartlet’s farm look more welcoming. The leaves on the trees were bursting in oranges, greens, reds and yellows. Jed was right; this was their peak week and they provided a beautiful backdrop. The ceremony was taking place directly across from the house in the large field there. A large tent was also erected over there for the reception. 

Donna continued to watch as rows of white chairs were set up. The guest list was small but distinguished, only about 75 people were on it. Donna knew that they could have forewent the small, quiet affair and gone for a big, flashy Washington wedding like Ellie did, but that didn’t fit she and Josh. Truth be told, a spur of the moment elopement would have fit Josh and Donna, but the more she thought about getting married here, the more she liked it and the more symbolic it got for her. True, they were in Manchester and not Nashua, but it had all started with the two people who were serving as their hosts, and Donna couldn’t think of anything more perfect. 

“Good morning, baby girl.” Donna heard her father call joining her on the porch. Donna’s family and Josh’s mother had flown in the day before when Josh and Donna also arrived. At first, Donna was nervous about how her family would feel being around the former President and First Lady and all the hubbub that surrounded them, but Abbey Bartlet was nothing, if not the perfect hostess. She regaled their parents all night of stories of she and Josh from their years in office and campaigning and thanked them profusely for being so understanding of her career and work for her husband. Since Donna’s mother had been to the farm many times since Josh and Donna got engaged, it helped put her father, brother and sister-in-law more at ease. Abbey and Janet Moss had become a formidable force to be reckoned with. 

“Morning, Daddy.” Donna smiled. 

“Getting nervous?” her father asked. 

“No.” she said. “It’s me and Josh.” 

“Yes, it is.” her father smiled. “I can’t tell you how happy your mother and I are for you. I’ve enjoyed watching you grow into the woman you’ve become. You’ve made me very proud.” Donna brushed away her falling tears. It meant a lot to hear her father say that. She knew that she didn’t lose their support when she left to work on the campaign, but she also knew that they had to endure a lot of disappointment over the years because of the demands of her job. She didn’t get home to visit nearly as much as she would have wanted to. But they’d always supported her. 

The porch door swung opened again and Josh wandered out, yawning and rubbing his eyes, while carrying the biggest mug of coffee Donna had ever seen. Really, where did he find that? 

“What the hell are all these people doing here?” he growled. He walked up behind Donna and wrapped an arm around her, propping his head momentarily on her shoulder. 

“Morning, bear.” she said. 

“Seriously,” Josh continued. “It’s 7 o’clock in the morning. Who are these people?” 

“Wedding people.” Donna answered. 

“The wedding’s tomorrow.” Josh stated. 

“You dare argue with Abbey and my mother’s logic?” Donna asked. 

“Not this early in the morning.” Josh said. He walked away from her and dropped himself into one of the rocking chairs on the porch. 

Jed bounded out door then, Liberty hot on his heels. “Good morning!” he sang. “Bob, ready to go?” Jed smiled to Donna’s dad. 

“Go?” Josh asked. “Where the hell are you going to go? We’re in the middle of nowhere.” 

“We’re going on a nature hike! I’ve got some syrup buckets to gather.” Jed said. “Up for it, Josh?” 

“I think I’ll pass, if it’s all the same to you, sir.” Josh said quickly. 

“But I thought you were an outdoorsman.” Jed quipped. 

“Not so much really.” Josh smiled. 

“All right then.” Jed said. “I’d order you to go, but you’ll only whine the whole time.” 

“I would, too, sir.” Josh agreed. “I mean, it’s really early to be stomping around the woods, I haven’t had my coffee yet, I’d be all achy. Really, I’d be very annoying.” 

“Of course,” Jed continued. “I could make you go and order you to shut up.”Josh looked pleadingly over at Donna for help. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in the woods with the former President and his future father-in-law. 

“I’ll keep him here, sir.” Donna smiled, coming to his rescue. “Quite frankly, I can’t think of what I’d possibly need him for today, but at least he’ll be around.” 

“Fine then, Josh. As usual, hide behind Donna.” Jed said starting down the stairs. 

“Thank you, sir.” Josh said. Jed and Bob started off across the field towards the woods, with a secret service agent and Liberty in toe, and Donna settled herself down in the rocking chair next to his. 

“You’re awfully cranky this morning, bear.” Donna smiled. “I thought you wanted to sleep in today.” 

“Me too.” Josh yawned again. “But evidently, my mother seems to think that it’s a grave injustice for you to be up early and not me.” 

“Don’t be such a baby, Joshua.” Joanna Lyman ordered stepping out onto the porch herself. “Besides, how many years did you get up at 5:30 in the morning, after only getting about 4 hours of sleep? One day’s going to kill you?” 

“Mom, I don’t have to do that anymore. My first class is at 10 o’clock. My office hours are in the afternoon. I’m practically a man of leisure over here. I’m catching up on all the sleep I’ve lost for all those years.” Josh explained. 

“Once again, you’re leaving poor Donna do to do all the work.” Joanna tsked at her son. 

“Donna’s hardly done anything!” Josh replied. “Janet and Abbey have been doing all the hard stuff. Trust me, if Donna had been completely in charge, she would have allotted me ample sleeping time.” Donna rolled her eyes at his drama and continued to sip her coffee. 

“What time is everyone coming in today, dear?” Joanna asked Donna. 

“CJ, Danny, the baby, and Charlie will be here this afternoon. Margaret, Sam and his wife, Annabeth, the President and First Lady are coming tomorrow morning. I think Justice Lang is also flying on Air Force One. I think some of our other friends are getting here tonight, too, but they’ll be staying in town.” 

“This place is going to look like a summit tomorrow.” Joanna laughed. “You really got Evelyn Lang to perform the ceremony?” 

“One call from President Bartlet was all it took.” Donna smiled. “Judge Lang has a soft spot for Josh.” 

“As well she should.” Josh said. 

“You’ve certainly built an impressive support network, Joshua.” his mother said softly. “I only wish your father and Leo were here to see it. They’d be so proud of you.” 

 

“Hey, babe, wake up.” whispered a very quiet voice next to Donna’s ear. Donna smiled and opened her eyes. Josh was squatting down next to her bed. She remembered the night before how he almost had stroke when the women in the house actually intended to enforce the not seeing the bride before the wedding rule. He’d called it ridiculous, unfair, superstitious and anything else he could think of, but Abbey, Joanna and Janet stood firm. Obviously, he’d found his opportunity. Donna glanced at the clock over his shoulder. 5 a.m. Nobody would probably be awake now. 

“You’re taking your life in your hands right now, you know.” Donna warned softly, as Josh reached back and quietly pushed the door closed and locked it, then returned to his position in front of her. 

“I don’t care.” he replied. “I couldn’t have you wake up by yourself this morning.” Donna gifted him with a smile. 

“ I’m awake. Now what?” 

“Well, I don’t think I have a lot of time.” Josh said seriously. “My mother’s an early riser, and you’re right, I’m a dead man, if I’m discovered. I mean, threatening me like they did was really counterproductive, I think. They threatened me with death and bodily injury if I came near this room. They’ve been waiting for this day for like ten years. Don’t they think putting me in the hospital is only going to postpone that? Why would they do that?” 

“So, it took you all night to find the chink in their armor?” Donna laughed. 

“Well, yeah.” he admitted sheepishly. 

“So, what was your plan when you got here?” Donna asked. 

“Well, I originally had grand plans,” he smiled suggestively, “but like I said, now I don’t think I have a lot of time. I’m not really afraid of our mothers, but they’ve got Abbey and CJ out there, too, and I’m very afraid of them.” 

“They’re formidable forces of the Sisterhood, to be sure.” Donna agreed trying her best to sound serious. 

“So, anyway, now I just wanted to sneak in here and be here when you woke up, and tell you that I love you and I can’t wait for later.” 

“I love you, too, Joshua.” she said softly. He leaned in and kissed her...then kissed her again...then kissed her again. 

“Okay. I’m really leaving now.” he said pulling away with on last kiss. Donna laughed as she watched him check the hallway to make sure it was clear before slipping out again. 

He just made it down the stairs when he came upon CJ in the foyer. Josh froze when she saw him glaring at him. 

“You broke the rules.” CJ glared at him. “What was so important?” 

“I didn’t want her to wake up by herself.” Josh said, heading over into the dining room for the coffee. 

CJ’s gazed softened as she watched him. “You really are sweet, mi amore.” she said softly. “I’m glad I’m one of the people who get to see the sweet side of you. But, the rest of the Sisterhood’s going to lynch you when they find out. You could jinx the whole works.” 

“CJ,” Josh sighed turning away from the server towards her. “do you really think after all me and Donna went through, that there’s still some kind of cosmic force that’s going to keep us apart today? I mean, do you actually believe that by now, after ten years, we’re actually not meant to be together, just because I snuck up to her room for a total of two minutes to tell her I loved her?” 

“You’re right, mi amore.” CJ said. “If anyone’s proven they’d defy heaven and earth to be together, it’s you two.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Are you ready for today?” 

“I’ve been ready for today my whole life.” Josh said confidently. CJ smiled at his expression. The Josh Lyman she knew, who ran away from commitment, who constantly stuck his foot in his mouth around women, was no where to be seen. Before her now was a man who was so confident in what he wanted, CJ actually envied Donna for being the one to marry him today. Not that CJ wasn’t completely happy in her marriage to Danny and even more happier with their new daughter, but seeing the obvious contentment before her now spoke volumes of the man Josh had become, and how vastly different he was from the day she joined the first campaign for Bartlet. 

“Be happy, Joshua.” CJ said kissing him on his cheek. 

 

Josh watched as Donna approached him on her father’s arm. He’d never seen her look more beautiful than she did walking towards him right now. She was in a simple silk, ivory gown that when all the way down to her feet. It had a daringly low neckline and was sleeveless. Her hair was in an elegant bun at the base of her head and two wisps of hair framed either side of her face. She carried a bouquet of fresh sunflowers. Bright mums were planted along the aisle, and the whole picture couldn’t have been more beautiful. The only thing Josh thought she was missing were wings. She even had a heavenly glow around her. 

When she finally was before him, she took his hand in his. As soon as he felt her touch, he leaned in and kissed her softly. He heard Justice Lang clear her throat loudly and smiled as he pulled away. 

“God forbid, Josh, you follow even one rule.” Justice Lang laughed. “That comes at the end of the ceremony.” Josh looked into Donna’s eyes, and when he saw her mouth “I love you,” he kissed her again. 

“We’re going to be here all day.” Justice Lang sighed. “Is there no one that can control these two?” 

“After ten years?” replied Jed. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone.” 

Since it was a civil ceremony, the entire thing lasted about ten minutes, which suited Josh and Donna just fine, since they just wanted to get to the end anyway. When Justice Lang finally pronounced them husband and wife, everyone was clapping and crying. When Josh and Donna finally broke apart of air, they leaned their foreheads against each other and smiled. Tears were streaming down Donna’s face and Josh gently brushed them away with his thumbs. She finally flung her arms around his neck and he pulled her close. 

“Here’s to forever, Donnatella.” he said softly so no one else could here. 

“Here’s to forever, Joshua.” she replied. 

THE END - Epilogue in Chapter 13.


	13. Liberty Belle

EPILOGUE

“Daddy.” whispered a small voice next to Josh’s ear and a finger poking him in the forehead. “Daddy, wake up.” 

Slowly, Josh opened his eyes and waited for his head to clear. He rolled over and looked right into the bright blue eyes of four year old Noah. It was Christmas Eve morning, and like the last five years straight, Josh and Donna were headed to the Bartlet farm to spend Christmas in Manchester. It had become tradition. Each year, Josh, Donna and Noah and CJ, Danny and their daughter Emily, would meet in New Hampshire. Some years, Sam and Jenny and Charlie could make it, and some they couldn’t. But each year, Josh and Donna and CJ and Danny would get there come hell or high water, or in the case of one year, a massive blizzard that had snowed them in an extra two days. Josh remembered the first year they were invited and how he had been planning to maybe go away for the holidays. Now, it was so important to get there each year. These people had become his family, and he’d never had a big family. CJ had always filled the void Joanie had left and she and Donna were thick as thieves. 

In the five years since Josh and Donna had been married, Noah was born and the President had won reelection by a very narrow margin, signaling the end of the democratic dynasty was near. Sam had continued to stay on as Chief of Staff and they were now in the third year of their second term. Josh’s class continued to be one of the most popular at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, but during the re-election campaign, Sam had convinced him to come on board as a consultant. Once the campaign was over, Josh returned to his quiet life in Boston. 

Donna had finished her degree at Boston University. She was afraid of special treatment from the other professors at Harvard, so instead has chosen to go to B.U. to finish her degree. She was now working in the Boston office of CJ’s PR firm, handling their political clients. CJ had taken to calling her “young grasshopper” when they drank too much. 

“Hey, buddy.” Josh greeted quietly. Noah was the spitting image of Josh, with the exception of his eyes. They were the only thing he got from Donna. But of anything that he could have inherited from his mother, Josh was glad it was those eyes. Those amazing, loving eyes, that looked at him with unconditional love. 

Noah was born in the summer, and Josh felt very lucky that he’d had an entire month with him and Donna before classes started up again. To this day, he’d cherished the nights when it was his turn to rock Noah back to sleep after a 3 a.m. feeding, when the house was quiet, and it was just him and his son. The peace he’d felt while he rocked Noah and told him all his secrets and all his dreams for his future gave him a feeling he could never put into words. Since then, he was mush. It didn’t take Noah long to figure out who was the weak link with his parents. It was unequivocally Josh. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell his son no. He told Donna he couldn’t live with disappointing him, and Donna laughed and told him that it was only short-term disappointment and it was good for Noah to not always get his way. But Josh would look into those beautiful, innocent blue eyes and cave every time, just like he did with his wife when she wanted something. 

Donna laughed at him each time it happened and accused him of being weak. What would the republicans think if they saw what had happened to the man they’d once called the Prince of Darkness? Every time it happened, Josh would vow to be stronger in the face of his son, but then he’d remember what Jed Bartlet had said to him once. They were watching Dial M for Murder one night in the White House. The President had just come back from a meeting with the Surgeon General. Millie was expecting to resign because of an interview she gave regarding the legalization of marijuana, which was contrary to the administration’s position on the issue. But in the end, Jed couldn’t do it. His daughter Ellie had stood up to him and defended her godmother to the press, and Jed respected that. Josh had told him that night that it was going to look like he didn’t fire the Surgeon General because his daughter had asked him not to. Jed told him that he would find there were worse things he could be accused of, which Josh now understood. 

“Daddy, Grandma Abbey is on the phone.” Noah informed. Donna’s head popped up from the other side of Josh and looked over at the clock. The red digital numbers were blinking back at her. 

“We lost power over night.” she said. “I wonder what time it is.” 

Josh dropped back onto his pillow and yawned. “Ask her what she wants, Noah.” Josh said. 

“Josh!” Donna hissed. “That’s Abbey Bartlet on the phone.” 

“Daddy wants to know what you want, Grandma Abbey.” Noah said into the phone. Donna and Josh watched Noah’s face as he listened intently to what Abbey was saying on the other end. “Oh, no, Grandma Abbey. I’m not allowed to say that word.” Josh arched a brow and looked over at Donna. “Okay, if you say it’s okay. But, if I get in trouble for saying that word, I’m going to make you open your present last.” 

“What’d she say, buddy?” Josh asked again. 

Noah took a deep breath, screwed up his face into his best scowl and said, “Get out of bed, jackass, you were supposed to be on the road two hours ago!”

THE END


End file.
